Amazingly Spider-Man
by TheDunkSquad
Summary: This is a story of a boy as he manages his double life as ordinary Peter Parker and masked vigilante Spider-Man. I won't be focusing so much on Spider-Man's crime-fighting adventures, instead delving more into his life and relationships.
1. Introduction

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE FRANCHISE**

* * *

He was rudely woken by the blaring of his alarm clock. The previous night of patrolling had totally exhausted him and he had only a couple hours of sleep. Groaning, he reluctantly got out of bed and headed to the shower, thinking of how short the summer break was.

"Time sure flies when you are out in the city saving people" Peter thought.

A while later, he was in the dining room,wolfing down a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon hungrily as Aunt May watched in pleasure, always happy when her Peter appreciates her cooking.

"There's no need to eat that fast, no one is going to steal your breakfast!" Aunt May laughs.

Mouth full of food, Peter could only smile in response, making exaggerated "MMMMMM" sounds between chews to show her how great the breakfast was.

Soon enough, he finished his breakfast and began heading out with his schoolbag. "Thanks Aunt May!" he said before he left as his aunt waved to him.

"Be good! And remember to pay attention in class!"

* * *

He heard the rapid footsteps behind him as if someone is trying to catch up with him.

"Wait up Peter!"

"Hey MJ!" He says as he turns around and sees a red-head running towards him.

Mary Jane has been his neighbour for as long as he can remember and also attends the same high school as him. They have been very close friends, hanging out at each others' houses and goofing around, watching rented movies, teasing each other.

"Excited for the new school term?" She asked as she finally caught up.

"Aren't I always?" Peter replied, smiling.

Middletown High was indeed one of Peter's favourite places. It was a place where he constantly learnt new knowledge, a place where he satiated his curiosity for the world of science, and most importantly a place where he got to meet his friends. He may not have many friends but those few he has are all he needs. However close as they are, none of them knows his secret. That he is the one who puts on a blue and red spandex costume while keeping the city safe. That he is none other than the Spider-Man.

"I cant wait to see Gwen and Harry back in school! I haven't really met up with them over the holiday but I guess we were busy with our own lives." Peter said happily.

"Wait... does this mean you aren't happy to see me back in school since we visited each other quite often during the holiday?" MJ asked giving a a face of mock sadness.

"Yeah I'm getting quite sick of you already" Peter joked, grinning at her which earned him a hard punch on the shoulder.

* * *

**Middletown High**

Flash Thompson and his football team were already at the main gate. Upon seeing Peter and MJ, a grin spread across Flash's face. "Hey look, it's the prince of dorks, Parker!" Flash sneered while the rest laughed hysterically to his joke, even though it really isn't that funny.

"Just ignore them" MJ whispered to Peter, shooting Flash a fierce look.

"What's up Mary? Puny Parker your boyfriend now? Someone as hot as you don't deserve a nerd like Parker!"

MJ could feel her face flush at that comment and before she knew what was coming, Flash's hand shot out and grabbed MJ's.

"Don't you feel much better with a handsome, strong man like me already?" asked Flash grinning.

"LET GO OF ME YOU CREEP!" MJ shouted while trying to wrench her hand off to no avail.

"Aw come on, what does the Parker kid have that I don't?" Flash asked, his grip still vice-like on MJ's arm.

"You heard her, let her go...now" Peter demanded with a calm and steady voice, but with hint of menace in it.

At that comment, Flash let go of MJ's hand and turned to Peter. "Trying to play the hero now huh? I guess I will just have to teach you where you belong!" Flash laughed, cracking his knuckles.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Flash's football team started chanting and in an instant, a crowd of students formed around Peter and Flash, eager to watch the brawl between the underdog and the school bully.

"I don't want to fight you Flash" Peter said, his voice still calm as ever.

"But I want to fight you!" Flash growled taking up a fighting stance.

MJ immediately rushed over and grabbed Flash's arm, trying to restrain him but he easily shrugged her away.

"Don't do this Flash, please!" MJ pleaded but the words fell on deaf ears as Flash rushed forward for the first attack.

Peter easily dodged the first punch with a look of nonchalance. Subsequent attacks by Flash proved ineffective also as Peter's speed was too much for him to handle. Embarrassed as the crowd started to chant Peter's name, he dived at Peter, unleashing a torrent of unrelenting blows. As Peter dodged these blows, he figured Flash won't give up until he beats him to a pulp and decided to end the fight. He gave Flash an elbow to the side and tripped him with a sweep, taking extra precaution not to use too much strength. As Flash landed painfully with a "THUD", the crowd went nuts and cheered for the underdog.

MJ was shocked. Since when did Peter the shy bookworm learn these fighting moves? And god, those reflexes of his are another thing altogether. Just at this time, the principal came over to check on the commotion and saw a beaten Flash and a victorious Peter. Enraged, the principal called them both to his office. MJ realised that Peter was about to get into trouble and rushed over, trying to explain the situation.

"Mr Brown, Peter wasn't at fault here! It was Flash who initiated the fight and Peter only acted out of self defence!"

"It doesn't matter who initiated the fight Miss Watson. Middletown High doesn't condone fighting and Mr Thompson and Mr Parker were clearly caught doing so!"

"Don't worry MJ, everything's fine" Peter assured her as he gave her a smile before finally following Mr Brown to his office.

She hung her head in defeat as she realised there was nothing she could do to help Peter. She couldn't help feeling guilty as he only got into trouble for helping her in the first place.

Just then, Gwen and Harry arrived and noticed the crowd dispersing. "Woah, what happened here?" Harry asked MJ, eyebrows raised.

"Peter and Flash got into a fight" MJ said, looking at the floor.

"Oh my god, is Peter ok?" Gwen asked with concern. MJ could tell she was genuinely worried.

"He actually beat Flash in that fight. I never knew he had it in him!"

"Wait, wait. We are talking about Peter Parker right? The guy who would rather spend the night reading about chemistry than attend a party? The guy who could barely pass his physical fitness test?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"No, I was talking about the boy who picked a peck of pickled peppers. Of course I was talking about our friend you bonehead!" MJ exclaimed exasperated.

"Wow..." Gwen and Harry stood there dumbfounded until the harsh ring of the school bell knocked them out of their shock and the three of them rushed to their classroom.

* * *

**Author's note**: Hey guys, this is my first attempt at writing fan-ficition so I would greatly appreciate if you guys could leave a review saying the good/bad points of the story and also leave a like if you well, like it. It would really motivate me to write more if I receive some response from you guys! Also, I'm not from America, nor have I visited America before, so bear with me if I jumble up some facts about the way of life in there! The next chapter will be out soon I can't wait to hear from you! Until next time, Hasta La Vista!


	2. Stroll Down Memory Lane

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE FRANCHISE**

* * *

Peter arrived just in time for chemistry class after his talk with Mr Brown. Luckily for him, his track record in school has been clean and he got off with merely a detention later that day.

"Well, at least Aunt May wouldn't know of this incident and my late night web-slinging won't be hindered" he thought with relief.

Peter gave Mr Smith, the chemistry teacher a curt nod before taking up the empty space in front of Mary Jane. He took his chemistry textbook out from his bag and tried his very best to pay attention, ignoring the blatant stares from the other students. Apparently they were still in awe of the fact that he actually won Flash in that fight. He didn't enjoy this kind of attention - he has always been the boy who preferred to maintain a low profile. Minutes into the class, he heard a whisper from directly behind him.

"So what happened to you?"

"Just detention, no biggie" he whispered back, only turning and tilting his head slightly backwards, his eyes still facing the whiteboard.

There was a pause, then Mary Jane whispered back.

"That was really stupid what you did back there, you could have gotten into much greater trouble than that, you know?"

She didn't really mean that. She thought it was really brave and sweet of Peter to have stood up for her that way.

This time Peter turned his head fully to face her. "Yeah if helping out my friend while she's in need and getting into trouble is stupid, I don't mind being labelled an idiot for life. Besides, I couldn't stand what Flash was doing to you, he just made my blood boil." With that, he gave a warm smile and turned back around.

Mary Jane couldn't help but blush at his reply. She has taken a liking to Peter for a long time now. She could even clearly remember the first time she met Peter, when he was still wearing those trademark glasses of his.

* * *

She was 15 years old and standing outside her new home in Queens. She had a lot of unloading and unpacking to do and only her aunt to help her. "This is going to be a long day" she thought as she took the first of many boxes from the van. As she turned around, she saw a bespectacled boy with ruffled brown hair watching her nearby.

"Need some help?" he asked, already moving forward.

"Nah, it's fine, I've got it" she replied. She didn't want to trouble anyone during her first day in the new neighbourhood.

"Don't be silly, you clearly do" the boy said as he proceeded to take a box from the van.

"Ok then, thanks for the help!"

The job was done much faster with the boy's help and it was only mid afternoon. "Thanks once again, you were a great help!" Mary Jane said appreciatively.

"Hey don't mention it! What are neighbours for right? By the way, I'm Peter" the boy smiled, extending his hand.

"I'm Mary Jane, but you can call me MJ" she took his hand in a handshake.

"All right MJ," Peter said "My aunt asked me to invite you and your aunt over for dinner. Would...would you like to come? I mean it's not compulsory or anything, it's just-"

"Sure, we would love to!" MJ interrupted. It was obvious that Peter was quite the shy boy around girls as shown from his stammering and rambling. But he was a nice guy, and she would like to spend more time to get to know him better.

"Great! See you at 7 tonight then!" he exclaimed and made his way back home. Mary Jane couldn't help but laugh at the excitement in his voice.

**7p.m. that day**

She could hear the friendly conversation in the house even before she reached the door. She knocked on the door and heard the conversation being cut off. Soon, the door opened and a friendly face greeted them.

"Hi MJ,hi Aunt Anna, please come in!" Peter said as he led them into the dining room. Dinner was laid on the table already and it was a feast. He took the seat next to Mary Jane and started the dinner off.

"Lets dig in!"

"Oh May, your nephew is such a dear helping us with our unpacking. You certainly taught him well!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not the only reason he went over." Aunt May said jokingly "Isn't it Peter?"

"Aunt May!" Peter whispered angrily back. His face was blushing madly now as he looked down at his plate of food. Mary Jane couldn't help the smile forming on her face as she heard that comment and saw Peter's embarrassment.

"So where's Mary Jane attending school?" Aunt May asked.

"I'm actually going to Middletown High, starting tomorrow."

"Oh what a coincidence! My dear Peter attends school there as well! I'm pretty sure you two will get along just fine."

"Yeah as long as you don't keep embarrassing me in front of everyone." Peter muttered. However, Mary Jane heard it and snickered.

When dinner was over, May and Anna were chatting in the living room while Mary Jane followed Peter up to his room. She had a preconceived notion of how a typical boy's room looked like but it was totally shattered when she saw Peter's room. She expected clothes to be strewn on the floor, bed messy, comics lining the bookshelf. Instead, the room was extremely tidy, and encyclopedias and books occupied the bookshelves. It was apparent that he is a very smart and well-read person.

"Wow..." she said, mouth gaping as she didn't expect this of his room.

"I know, I know. This isn't exactly the typical boy's room you'd imagine it to be. I guess I'm too much of a nerd huh." Peter's face was slightly saddened at that and Mary Jane realised that he must be ridiculed and branded in school as a nerd.

"I don't think that at all... " She said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Peter's mood seemed to lighten with that."Thanks MJ."

Mary Jane was glad that she could cheer him up and tried to get his mind off that matter.

"So...what do you think of me?" She asked, curious to find out Peter's opinion of her.

He thought for a short while."Well for a first impression, I find that you are really nice, and I like that you know just what to say to cheer a person up. Also...um... I think...I think..."

His sentence was interrupted by Aunt Anna calling Mary Jane from downstairs. "Mary, it's time to go home! You have school tomorrow!"

"You'd better get going, lest your aunt gets angry." Peter said. Mary Jane nodded and reluctantly left the room down the stairs. The question was burning in her mind, and she needed to know the answer to it. What exactly did Peter want to say? The thought bugged her for the whole night and she couldn't stop thinking about it. There was no way she could pose the question to Peter without it seeming awkward. That's how her first day with her neighbour Peter Parker ended - with a question which she may not even get the answer to.

* * *

As the memory ended, Mary Jane snapped back into reality and realised she had daydreamed the entire lesson and Mr Smith hasn't even noticed. Recollecting her memory of Peter, he seems so much more different now and this change occurred all too suddenly a few months ago. He ditched his glasses and seems more confident now, but deep down he is still the same shy boy who offered to help her unpack.

She only realised that class had ended when Peter got up and waved his hand in front of her. "Hello? Anybody there?"

"Oops, looks like I was daydreaming again." Mary Jane said as she hastily put her books into her bag.

"Hey Peter, are the rumours true? Did you really teach ol' Flash a lesson?" Harry asked as he approached with Gwen.

"Yeah, I'm not really proud of it. I never resort to violence but he sort of forced my hand. And besides, he was being a jerk to MJ."

"Wow, looks like our Peter has finally grown to be a man!" Harry joked.

"Peter, I think it was really cool of you to have stood up for your friend like that. Not many, or rather nobody dared to oppose Flash but you really opened everyone's eyes that nobody has to stand his bullying." Gwen said, beaming.

"Gee, thanks Gwen." Peter rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little proud of himself.

"Hey, I hate to interrupt but I think we better hurry or we are going to be late for our next lesson!" Harry said and the four them started to head to their next classroom.

"Hey Peter, I was wondering if you would like to come to my house later tonight?" Gwen asked abruptly.

Mary Jane heard this and looked over at Peter. "I hope he isn't going back on his promise to do homework with me tonight." She thought.

"Sorry Gwen, I'm kind of busy tonight." And with that response, Mary Jane felt a wave of relief and secretly smiled to herself.

"Oh ok, never mind then. Another time, I guess." Gwen said, disappointed.

* * *

The rest of the day went past fast enough and besides getting pelted with spitballs by Flash during detention, everything went pretty smoothly for Peter. He went back home to help his aunt with the chores before taking dinner and helping her wash the dishes. It was around 7 in the evening when Peter decided to head over to Mary Jane's house. He barely got to knock on the door when it was flung open by Mary Jane.

"Hey MJ...WOAAAHHHH!" he cried as an excited Mary Jane pulled him into her room. It looked the same as always - aquamarine walls with a pure white bed, a chair beside the bed with a giant teddy bear on it, and a study desk at the corner of the room.

"Hi," said Mary Jane smiling at Peter and catching her breath since she practically raced back to her room.

"Wow, excited to do some homework are we?" Peter laughed. He took out his assignments from his bag and laid them on the bed, where Mary Jane's homework was put already. As he was helping her with her homework while doing his own, Peter realised that although they had plenty of house visits in the past doing all kinds of stuff, she seems more excited this time. "Must be something good happening to her life lately" he thought, happy for her.

With Peter's help, they finished their assignments in quick time and he didn't need to go home yet. Mary Jane took this opportunity to try and spend some more time with him. "Hey Peter, do you...um...do you want to take a walk around the neighbourhood with me?" She asked, looking down as she shuffled her right foot.

"Sure, why not?"

Mary Jane's face lit up as she smiled and walked out with Peter, enjoying every second of his company.

* * *

**Author's note**: Hey guys, here's another chapter, hope you didn't wait too long for it! I gotta admit that I get writer's block quite often and so I didn't publish this chapter as soon as I wanted to. But hey, I believe that if you want to do something, try your best for it and so I ensure that I write this story to the best of my ability.


	3. That Night

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE FRANCHISE**

* * *

The evening was serene - perfect for another one of her "adventures". She bounded from one rooftop to another with unparalleled grace. She was new to the city but that didn't stop her from finding her target building quickly. The estate was extremely large and surrounded by metal fencing. Two guards were standing at the front gate and with her vision goggles, she could see more patrolling within the estate. Pretty thoroughly guarded, but infiltrating it would be child's play with her expertise.

Making her way to the side of the building, she considered the metal fence. Suspecting it to be charged with electricity, she plucked out a strand of her hair and blew it to the fence. As she suspected, it immediately sizzled. That's when she put on special voltage insulating rubber gloves over her leather ones, which only insulated electricity to a certain extent. She waited for the shift changing time of the guards before climbing over the fence. From what she had observed the past few times she scouted this place, she had about a minute and a half to sneak into the building when the security was lowest during this time.

Using the claws which retracted from her gloves, she dug into a brick wall of the building and started climbing. Finally, she reached a window and used her a claws to draw a circle on it, catching the glass circle as it fell towards her. She climbed through the window and carefully placed it on the floor so as to not create any noise which will magnify by echoing throughout the place.

"Now where would he hide those jewels..." she thought as she scanned the room through her night vision goggles. Then, she saw a giant painting on the wall and started smirking. Removing the painting revealed a safe box as she predicted. However, it required a 4 digit code to crack and guessing would take far too long. This proved to be no hindrance to her as she took out a small pouch and applied a thin layer of the white powder inside onto the keys before blowing off the excess powder. The result was that the remaining powder formed the shape of someone's fingerprints on three different buttons. One of the buttons had two fingerprints on it so she figured that the digit is repeated in the code. With only 12 combinations to try, she cracked the safe soon after and retrieved the precious stones in it. She placed them into another pouch in her utility belt and made off with her loot.

She managed to escape the estate undetected and made her way back home, where she admired the stolen jewels for a long while before putting them in a jewel box, together with the rest of her collection from past heists. She changed out from her leather costume into something more comfortable and laid on her bed, somehow unsatisfied even though she probably gained a few million off this night alone. These heists were getting too easy for her and she no longer felt the excitement that they used to give her when she just started.

"I need a challenge - something, anything that could bring the old kick back."

As she stared at the ceiling, she noticed a spider had spun its cobweb at the corner of the room and an idea immediately struck her.

"Or someone... and I think I know just who..." She smiled as she closed her eyes and drifted into dreamland.

* * *

The evening was serene as they walked down the dimly lit street. At one point, the wind became really chilly and Mary Jane regretted not bringing her jacket out. Not wanting to cut short her walk with Peter, she desperately tried to keep herself warm.

At the side, Peter noticed this and smiled to himself. It was cute seeing Mary Jane try her best to trap any kind of heat, from breathing into her cupped hands to rubbing her arms frantically. It was a futile attempt however, as she started shivering from the cold.

"Here," he said as he took off his jacket and put it on Mary Jane. She immediately felt better as the heat from Peter was still retained in the jacket, providing a comforting warmth. She smiled appreciatively."Thanks." She then hooked her right arm onto Peter's left arm, "You're a really sweet guy, you know that? Any girl would be lucky to have you."

Peter's face immediately went red. "Uhhhh...Thanks?" was the best he managed to come up with as he averted his eyes to avoid looking at Mary Jane. Seeing his reaction, she tried to stifle a giggle but failed. It was so easy to get Peter to blush, and she really enjoyed doing so everytime.

Suddenly, they heard a whimper coming from their right side. Curiosity got the better of them and they went to the source of the sound, only to find a woman being cornered by three men, one of whom is wielding a knife. Mary Jane gasped involuntarily, which was unfortunately heard by the men as they turned around to find the witnesses.

"GET THEM!" yelled the leader as his two partners went after Peter and Mary Jane. Peter had to drag her along as she was frozen with fear. Only after awhile did she regain her composure and start running.

"Fighting them is definitely out of the question, I can't let MJ suspect my identity, especially after the incident with Flash. I can outrun them easily, but MJ is a different case..." he thought as he tried to cook up a plan. They ran into an alley and Peter lifted Mary Jane up to hide her in one of the large recycling bins. "Stay here, I will distract them and get help." He whispered.

Mary Jane's eyes widened as she realised what danger Peter is putting himself into. "No! Hide here with me!" Her tone was pleading but Peter knew he had no choice but to deny her that peace of mind.

"MJ, I need you to promise me that you won't come out until I return." His voice was dead serious now as he started to hear the footsteps of their pursuers.

"But..."

He had no time now. He pushed Mary Jane further into the bin and closed the lid before turning and running into another alley. The men saw his shadow as he turned the corner and chased in his direction. Stripping himself of his civilian clothes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mask and put it on. At that moment, the pursuers turned the corner only to find the masked vigilante, hands on his hips. "Wow, so now I'm reduced to clearing the streets of small-time criminals huh?" Peter quipped. They have obviously not met nor heard of Spider-Man as they stood there with their cocky expressions. "All right Spandex Boy is it? Hand over the boy and we will spare you. Don't make this any harder for us." One of the guys mocked while the other snickered at the comment. "Funny, I was about to say the same thing, except the part about me being Spandex Boy of course." The hero said, clearly unaffected by the insult and happy to play along with this verbal mockery.

"WHY YOU!" The guy who mocked Peter shouted in rage as he charged at him, releasing a punch at his face. Peter was obviously too fast for him as he grabbed his hand and twisted it.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He yelped in pain and knelt on the floor, too weak to fight Peter anymore. His partner saw this and immediately started running, only to be pulled back by Peter's webbing. "Uh uh," Peter said, wagging a finger. "You two come in a pair. It would be rude to hand you over to the police singly!" He then proceeded to web both of them up and stuck them to the wall.

After his work is done, he got back to the last thug who was still with the woman and made quick work of him. "Th...Thank you Spider-Man!" The woman said gratefully, but not yet recovered from the ordeal. He gave her a curt salute before bringing the third thug to rejoin the other two. By morning, they would be found by the police as they made their patrol.

He then got into another alley and changed back into his civilian clothes before going back to the bin where he hid Mary Jane. Opening the lid, he saw the red-haired girl trembling and he couldn't help feeling bad for all the fear and worry he put her through. But it had to be done to save her from trouble. She saw that familiar face and immediately rushed forward to hug him.

"Oh Peter, y...you have no idea how scared I was. I heard the fighting and I thought you were in need of help. And yet here I was hiding like a coward while you risked your life for me!" Tears were welling in her eyes and they dripped onto Peter's shoulder, only amplifying his guilt.

"It's fine now MJ, I'm alright." Peter conforted her, gently patting her back.

"What happened back there?" She asked when she finally stopped the sobbing.

"You wouldn't believe it, but Spider-Man actually came and beat those thugs up!"

"Oh, I believe you. He always seems to be around when people need help. Just last month, he saved me from a mugger! I couldn't thank him before he swung away though."

Peter remembered that incident. He was following Mary Jane as Spider-Man because he felt it wasn't safe for her to be out alone so late at night. He took care not to let her spot him so he was watching her from the rooftops. She was studying late at the library and on her way home, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. Her "stalker" turned out to be her savior of course and he advised her not stay out late on the streets alone as it was very dangerous. At that time, she felt weird being advised by a masked superhero but decided to heed it anyway.

The walk back to their houses was silent; Mary Jane was still recovering from the ordeal and Peter decided to leave her at that and give her some quiet. Soon, they were at Mary Jane's doorstep.

"You sure know how to show a girl a good time, Tiger." Mary Jane said as she looked up at Peter. He guffawed, amused by her joke. He was heartened to see that she got over the incident relatively quickly. "Well, you know I'm a casanova." He deadpanned, which provoked a chuckle from her.

"Good night MJ." He said finally before heading for his house.

"Uh Peter?"

"Yeah?" He immediately turned around only to be greeted with a light peck on the cheek. She had tiptoed slightly to do so.

"Good night." She said smiling as she headed back to her house and left him there mulling over what the kiss meant.

* * *

The evening was serene as she gazed out the window into the starry night sky. She had nothing to do at home, and surprisingly no date considering how attractive she was. She had planned to spend the evening with Peter Parker but was rejected. "I wonder what he is busy with..." She muttered to herself. Peter was the one boy in school she found fascinating. Not only did he share her passion for science and excelling at academics, he was mysterious at times. He had endured Flash's bullying for the good part of high school, but suddenly decided to teach him a lesson earlier today. Now that's something unfathomable, considering Peter couldn't even do a single pull up in gym lesson. Not to mention he ditched his glasses a few months ago, and still had perfect vision despite not putting on contacts. Despite abandoning the geeky look, he was still the same old bookworm. The strangest of his behaviour had to be when they were hanging out together at a shopping mall and he just decided he needed to leave after hearing a radio broadcast of criminal activity somewhere in the city. This had happened many times already and he always came up with a believable reason.

She turned from the window and unfastened her hair clip, releasing her blond hair from its ponytail before lying on her bed. "One of these days, I'm going to find out what you're hiding." She ended her day with a final thought.

* * *

**Author's note**: Well, I thought it would be fun to write about the 3 ladies during the same night and how coincidentally they were all thinking of the same guy. Also, I'm going to develop Gwen and Felicia more in the subsequent chapters so they can bring more to the story. Lastly, I would like to thank the guys who reviewed and those who put this story on their follow/fav list!


	4. The Black Cat

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN MY STORY.**

* * *

"The party was great man, you should have been there! I mean, the crowd was full of hotties, it was like being in heaven!"

"All right, all right, you don't have to repeat that for the bajillionth time. So tell me, did you ask any of them out?" Peter asked though he got a good idea of what the answer was going to be.

Harry scowled. "No, but it's a first step!" He replied defensively. "All right enough about me, what was going on last night that made you miss this party?"

"Um...nothing much. Just took a little stroll in the park, then a late evening run." Mary Jane couldn't help snickering softly at Peter's excuse. Well, technically it wasn't totally a lie.

"WHAT! AND YOU WOULD RATHER DO THAT THAN ACCOMPANY YOUR BEST FRIEND TO THE PARTY OF THE YEAR?"

Peter merely shrugged. "I'm not exactly the party kind of guy, you know?"

"Can't you make an exception just one time?"

Laughing, Peter retorted "I don't think it would improve your chances with the girls if they see you with nerdy Parker. But if it makes you happy I will accompany you next time."

* * *

As they walked into the classroom to take their seats, they noticed the stares of the boys on someone they haven't seen in school before. They were gawking at her as if she were a goddess and frankly, Peter couldn't fault them. Long platinum blond hair flowed to one side of her neck like a silver waterfall. She had a beautiful face and curves which models would die for. Trying her best to ignore the stares, she rested her chin on a hand and looked straight at the whiteboard.

"I think I found the future Mrs Osborn, guys!" Harry whispered as he gazed dreamily at her from his seat.

Shaking her head, Mary Jane leaned to Peter. "I really pity her. First day of school and she's already surrounded by a ravenous flock. She looks really uncomfortable with all this attention too."

At that moment the door opened and the Math teacher, Mr Cole came in, ready to drone the class to sleep once again with his monotonous voice. However, if there's one student who will stay awake throughout the whole lesson, it would be none other than Peter Parker, who took learning very seriously. In fact, he was the one boy who did not constantly gawk at the new girl's beauty, instead preferring to direct his attention to the math formulae and diagrams on the board.

Halfway through his lesson on trigonometry, Mr Cole couldn't take it any longer. "Will you guys please take your eyes off Ms Hardy for a moment and pay attention for once?" Normally the students would at least pretend to pay attention and Mr Cole, oblivious as he is, would genuinely believe that they were interested in his lesson.

The girl's cheeks reddened, no doubt clearly embarrassed by the situation. Peter felt bad for her; she clearly just wanted a normal school life, and didn't expect to receive such attention already on her first day of school.

"Hmm... maybe I can try and help her adjust to this new school life," Peter thought before immersing himself into the world of math once again.

* * *

During lunch time, Peter took his tray and joined Harry, Gwen and Mary Jane at their usual table. Harry was staring dead ahead which earn a puzzled look from Peter. "What's up with him?" He said as he took a bite of his ham and cheese sandwich.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mary Jane replied as she rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb in the direction of his gaze. There was the new girl, sitting alone at a table and picking at her lunch.

"Well, I've decided!" Harry finally said as he stood up, "If nobody's up to it, I'll be the first to ask her out!" That earned a snicker from the three of them and Harry departed from the table with a scowl, muttering something under his breath.

"Oh, this will be good!" Peter said as he rubbed his hands together and turned to observe Harry's trademark "smooth moves". The only thing that would make this better was if he had a bowl of popcorn. To his disappointment, the table was too far away and he couldn't hear a thing they said so he settled with just observing the scene with his eyes.

Harry went over to her and gestured at a seat. After a nod from her, he sat down and put on his most pleasant smile before conversing with her. While Harry seemed genuinely interested in the conversation,she looked kind of bored and did not pay much attention to him. Gwen pointed this out, which made Peter and Mary Jane burst out laughing as this was the epitome of "unrequited love". Not long after, she shook her head and from her mouth movements seemed to say "sorry", leaving Harry with a face of dejection as he left to return to his table. Seeing Harry's failed attempt, Peter immediately turned back around and returned to his sandwich, acting as if he totally didn't witness his failure.

"So how was it?" Peter asked, even though he knew the answer already.

"Don't act dumb, I know you saw everything!" Harry replied hotly.

"Aw come on Harry, cheer up! There are so many other girls in the world, I'm sure you'll find the right one!" Mary Jane consoled.

"Yeah...I guess you're right."

"Come on buddy, I know just the thing that will cheer you up!" Peter said through a mouthful of sandwich.

"Oh yeah? I highly doubt you do."

Peter smiled as he took his time to swallow before continuing. "Liz's birthday party is next week, and you have a voucher to take me to any one party you want. That is if you still want the school's biggest geek to be your wingman."

Harry's mood lightened up instantly. "Are you kidding? Of course I do! Beside you, I would look like a total heartthrob!" He joked, which earned a glare from Peter.

* * *

The school day went past fast enough for Peter as he prepared himself for his night patrol as Spider-Man. After refilling his web cartridges, he slipped into his suit and put on his mask before sliding his window open and slinging into the cool night air.

Scouring the city for a good two hours, Peter couldn't find any major crime, only stopping a masked man from mugging an innocent lady. He felt really proud of himself. Since he took on the role as the masked vigilante for the city, crime rate has dropped significantly. While the Daily Bugle has been consistently trashing his reputation, he couldn't care less as what mattered was that the innocent were safe.

Just as he thought of wrapping up his patrol and swing back home, a blaring alarm rang, cutting through the silence of the otherwise still night. Sighing, Spider-Man swung to the source of the sound as he thought of making quick work of this robber and getting home for some well-deserved rest.

The jewellery store had its window crudely broken to pieces as he swung in through that hole. Turns out that the robber threw a rock to break the glass, setting off the alarm. "Rookie" thought Spider-Man as he tried to navigate his way through the dark store. Luckily for him, his spider-sense served to give him a general idea of the environment around him in addition to warning him of impending danger so he didn't have as much trouble finding his way.

"Well,well, look what the cat dragged in.."

He froze at that statement. It was a smooth female voice and it came from behind him, which was weird as his spider-sense would have warned him of any impending danger. Nobody has managed to catch him by surprise during his time as Spider-Man but she was the first exception.

"Look lady, why don't you just return the jewels you stole and follow me to the police station so nobody gets hurt. I don't want to fight a girl, even if she's a thief."

Laughing, the thief replied "You seem pretty confident of your abilities, hero. We'll see if you really live up to your reputation!" At that, she threw a smoke bomb. The chemicals irritated his lungs, his mask only doing so much to block his inhalation of the smoke. Coughing as he fanned away the gas, he made his way to the broken window. He looked up just in time to see a black figure swing away to a nearby rooftop with the aid of a grappling gun.

"Wow, what a copycat!" He can't help thinking that the move was so similar to his web slinging.

Firing a web line to the same location, he gave chase without hesitation.

"Wow, she's fast!" He thought as he tried to catch up with the thief bounding across the rooftops.

"Aw come on, why are you running away? Do I really look that bad?" He called out while swinging after her.

She smirked at that joke. She knew Spider-Man had a tendency to come up with such quips when dealing with his foes. Majority of them thought he was irritating but she thought it to be an intriguing part of him.

Glancing back, she discovered the hero slowly but surely catching up with her. With running not an option, she decided to resort to Plan B.

Pretending to dive off the edge of the rooftop, she remained on a ledge not far below. Not long after, she heard footsteps above her and she leapt from her hiding spot, giving the unsuspecting Spider-Man an uppercut, causing him to stumble and fall flat on his back.

"Owww, that hurt..." Spider-Man said as he rubbed his chin. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the thief rushing straight at him, not giving him a moment's rest.

He managed to block all her attacks with ease, not retaliating at all. She may be trained in martial arts, but even that is no match for the spider's superior speed and agility.

"This isn't any fun if I'm the only one making the moves, you know?" She said, pouting her lips while continuing her relentless attacks.

"Didn't I say earlier that I wouldn't hit a woman?"

"What about Shriek?"

"Fine, I wouldn't hit a woman who isn't out for my head. You know, it's kinda easier to talk when I'm not constantly trying to avoid my face being smashed in."

"Well then you only have one option, because I'm not stopping." She grinned.

"Is she enjoying this?" Spider-Man thought when he saw her grin. "I guess you're right," he said, giving a dramatic sigh. Blocking her next roundhouse kick, he grabbed on to her raised leg with his lightning quick reflexes. He then proceeded to sweep her remaining leg with his and cushioned her fall with his free hand.

Totally caught off-guard, she gasped as she fell to the floor softly, thanks to Spider-Man breaking her fall. She couldn't believe the speed at which he did all this. Spider-Man had her pinned to the floor and though she didn't give the fight her hundred percent as well, she didn't think he would take her out so fast.

For the first time that night, he saw her features clearly. Even with her goggles and eye mask on, he could tell that she was gorgeous. She had shoulder-length raven hair and her skin-tight leather suit accentuated her curves really well. From her overall look, she appeared relatively young, and he guessed that she was around the same age as him. "Wow..." he let out involuntarily before he could stop himself, putting a smirk on the thief's face.

"Well, you got me hero...now what're you going to do?"

Taken aback by the sultry tone in her voice, Spider-Man was at a loss for words.

"Uhhhhh...I..I.." he stammered, grateful that his mask was covering his face which was blushing madly.

The thief grinned from ear to ear. She thought of how despite the fact that Spider-Man was the guardian of the city, projecting his image as a fearless vigilante, he was also just a shy person underneath the facade and the mask.

Taking advantage of his moment of hesitation, she flipped him around and it was now her who had Spider-Man pinned. While he could have easily turned the tables round, he found himself weak and helpless at the effect she had on him.

"If you don't have any plans for me, I have a plan for us..." she said, lifting her goggles and revealing a set of emerald green eyes.

With that, she started to lift up his mask but he caught on and reached out to stop her.

"Don't..."

"Relax spider, I won't jeopardise your identity," she reassured him and somehow, he believed her.

She pulled the mask up till his nose and planted her lips on his, her hands cupping his cheeks. Peter's eyes widened in shock. Pursing his lips, he was hesitant in returning the kiss. Attractive as she is, in the end she is still a thief and he could not, would not take a step down the wrong path.

Noticing Spider-Man clearly not reciprocating her kiss, she pulled back and gave a puzzled look. "What's wrong spider?"

"What's wrong is that you're a thief and I don't mingle with the wrong crowd. You're clearly too young to be in this business and you've a bright future ahead of you. Tell you what, if you return the jewels, I'll let you off the hook. The police won't even know of your existence."

"As tempting as the offer is, I'm afraid I am going to have to reject it. You see, I'm a world class cat burglar, and it certainly won't look good on me if anyone knows of even one failed heist." She said, caressing his cheek with her gloved hand.

"Look, I really don't want to be enemies with you, but if you're so adamant..."

"Oh poo! You're really no fun at all spider! I guess I'm going to have cut our meeting short then, see ya!"

"You know I can't let you run away with those jewels."

The thief began to release her hold on Spider-Man and make her escape, turning back and replying with a wink "Oh? I don't think so!"

Spider-Man rolled his mask back down and started to give chase but his left foot wouldn't move. "WHAT? SO UNFAIR!" he yelled in exasperation as he realised that it was stuck to the floor with some adhesive that the thief applied without his knowledge earlier. Seeing a helpless Spider-Man, she grinned and blew a kiss to him before leaving behind a note and diving over the edge of the roof, out of sight.

Peter took some time to remove his boot, and decided that he would have to leave it there as the adhesive was too strong. He picked up the note and read it with the thief's voice in his head:

_Tonight was really enjoyable for me spider, you sure know how to show a lady a great time. I'm sure we will cross paths again next time, looking forward to it!_

_XOXO The Black Cat_

Stowing the note away into his costume, he returned to the jewellery store, police cars already there and he could overhear a police officer taking the store owner's statement.

"So you're telling me that nothing got stolen?"

"Yes, I'm guessing this must be some prank pulled by the neighbourhood kids, throwing rocks at windows and what not. Thank god it wasn't a thief!"

"Black Cat didn't steal anything? So she was just playing with me huh? I guess what they say about black cats being bad luck is true," Spider-Man thought as he chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He was still in disbelief that she would actually go through so much trouble staging a heist and risk getting apprehended just so she can toy with him. And why did she fight him, only to kiss him later on? "I would never understand women..." he muttered to himself before firing a web shot to a nearby building and swinging his way back home, confused but unable to wipe the smile off his face.


	5. Thrill of the hunt

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN MY STORY.**

* * *

Spider-Man had always been able to keep calm and collected in the face of his adversaries. If anything, he was the one who kept them on their toes, frustrating them with his quips and agility. Last night was a first for him, when this mysterious thief who called herself Black Cat just outright flirted with him, causing him to stumble on his words and making him into a ball of nervousness.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Peter snapped out of his memory to find a pair of blue eyes looking thoughtfully at him. "Oh, it's nothing Gwen," he dismissed her question as he continued prodding his lunch. Mary Jane was at drama lessons while Harry was at an economics class, leaving Peter and Gwen together for the lunch break.

"You know you're really bad at lying Peter, you never could hide anything from me. Come on, what exactly is bothering you?"

"Can't hide anything from you huh? Except my biggest secret that I'm the infamous web-slinger himself!" Peter thought to himself. "Ok fine you got me. I'm thinking about the upcoming science quiz," he told her with a deadpan expression. He was inwardly cursing himself, "Really? The upcoming pop quiz? You really are the worst liar on Earth Parker!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him before giving a sigh and returning her attention to her plate. "Well, I guess if you don't want to share your thoughts, I can't force you to." Then she smiled before continuing, "But hey, know that I'm always here for you ok?"

Relieved that Gwen stopped probing, he managed a smile back. "Thanks Gwen."

* * *

Staring at his collection of trophies, he should feel accomplished and proud but he didn't. The heads of the fiercest beasts that he had triumphed over adorned his wall, constantly reminding him of his great achievements the past years but they served no purpose with the new knowledge he had. He had received information of the masked vigilante who called himself Spider-Man, possessing superior agility and was abnormal strength. He also had breakneck reflexes which were unheard of, which only intrigued this man further. Crushing the goblet of wine in his hand, he stood up and paced about. He had never been this excited about a hunt before, raring to find his newfound prey as soon as possible. "Yes, his mask on my wall will be my greatest achievement yet!" He thought, rubbing his hands in anticipation of his upcoming challenge. "And then I, Kraven, will truly be the greatest hunter of all time!"

* * *

**Parker Household**

_$500 to anyone who can produce satisfactory Spider-Man photos! Kindly send all photos to Jameson personally at The Daily Bugle._

The more he read the advertisement, the more he thought it was too good to be true. "Then again I guess The Daily Bugle wants to stay ahead of its competition," Peter thought as he scanned the advertisement again, making sure his eyes were not deceiving him. His household could really use the money, considering Aunt May only was their only source of income and she did not earn a lot from being a cashier at a nearby supermarket.

Rummaging through the attic, he had a hard time finding what he needed in the midst of all the junk stored there. "I really must spend some time tidying this junkyard!" He thought in frustration as he continued his search. After a long while, he finally found what he needed. "Good thing Harry gave this to me last year for my birthday!" He thought as he brushed away the layer of dust on the still unopened box. Carefully opening it, he pulled out a DSLR camera and played around with it until he learnt about all its features. Just then, he heard a newscaster from the television which Aunt May was watching downstairs. "This just in... A madman wearing animal pelt is seen rampaging around town. Though not causing civilian harm, he is wrecking havoc, demanding to see Spider-Man."

"Guess it's time to test out this baby," Peter said as he changed into his Spider-Man costume and made a web pouch to carry his camera along.

* * *

"If Spider-Man doesn't show up, I will just have to force him out!" He thought to himself. His eyes flitted to a boy cowering in fear at the scene before him and a grin spread over his face. "Guess you'll have to do!" He said as he grabbed the boy in his huge arms, just in time to take him hostage as the blare of sirens warned him of the incoming police cars. The men in blue took their aim at him, and their captain immediately ordered them to lower their weapons. "But sir, we have clear shot of him!" One of the policemen questioned his order.

"And risk injuring or potentially killing the boy as well? Our job is to protect the innocent!" The captain snapped back.

"That's a wise decision captain! All I want is Spider-Man and no innocent lives will be hurt!" Kraven laughed, knowing that he had the hostage advantage there.

Out of nowhere, a web ball struck Kraven's arm and he released his hold on the boy momentarily. He looked to the direction of the source of the projectile only to see a flash of red and blue whizz past him and before he knew it, his hostage was gone.

"Speak of the Spider and thou shall get him!" Spider-Man quipped as he laid the boy next to the policemen. "It's fine, you are safe now," he comforted the boy, crouching down to his height and patting him lightly on his back.

"Thank...thank you Spider-Man!" The boy said through bloodshot eyes, crying into his shoulder. Being taken hostage is certainly a nerve wracking and fearful experience, more so for such a young child.

"Hey, you're welcome... stay safe next time ok?" Spider-Man said, the boy nodding as a sign of promise.

"All right for now, I've got a fight with Tarzan! I just hope I can beat him before the smell from his jungle of an armpit knocks me out first!" Spider-Man said before releasing a web and swinging towards Kraven.

The boy managed a small laugh despite his earlier plight, appreciating his sense of humour. "Go get him Spider-Man!"

"Ah, we finally meet, Spider-Man! I've been looking forward to our first encounter!"

Peter raised an eyebrow underneath the mask, even though he knew his foe couldn't see it. "If you wanted an autograph, all you had to do was ask," he teased. "Here, I'll even do it for you now!"

Spider-Man proceeded to fire his webs over Kraven's body rapidly."There! It's done!" Spider-Man announced, proud of his creation, a note made entirely of his web.

**TO MY DEAREST TARZAN, BE GOOD AND TREAT OTHERS NICELY. DON'T FORGET TO BATHE - SPIDER-MAN**

"YOU DARE MOCK THE MIGHTY KRAVEN? YOU SHALL PAY DEARLY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE !" The hunter seethed with anger. Letting out a roar, he leapt at Spider-Man like a cheetah, fists aiming at his jaw. Spider-Man dodged to the side, only narrowly dodging the punch. "Wow, he's fast!" he marvelled at the hunter's speed. While this Kraven guy wasn't as quick as him, he was still way faster than the average man.

"Kraven huh? I thought Tarzan would have been a more apt name but I guess I can live with that," Spider-Man replied with a laugh. All this provocation was clearly taking its effect on Kraven as his face just became redder with anger. At that moment, he could have been easily mistaken for an oversized tomato.

Hand to hand combat proved to be a stalemate. While Spider-Man could easily dodge Kraven's attacks, he couldn't inflict any damage on the hunter. He managed to get a few quick jabs on Kraven's body, but it was as if he punched a brick wall. Kraven took the attacks as if they were mere ant bites, grinning at the hero's futile attempt at subduing him.

"This guy's gotta have a weakness, think!" Spider-Man thought as he dodged yet another bola flung at him. Delivering a roundhouse kick to Kraven's chest, he was disheartened to see the body unmoving as Kraven took the full impact of the powerful blow. And then Spider-Man saw it. The hunter winced at his recent attack. It was a slight wince, but still a show of weakness nonetheless. "Now's the time to strike!" He decided as he unleashed a barrage of attacks.

"NO! It's wearing off!" Kraven thought with a grimace as he started to feel the pain from enduring Spider-Man's attacks. His elevated levels of adrenaline was dropping rapidly now and he was panting harder, trying to keep up with his opponent. Overconfident, he did not expect his fight with the masked vigilante to last so long, so he didn't bring an extra dose of his specially formulated performance-enhancing steroid. He decided then that escape was his only solution left, before the current dose of steroid wore off. He leapt off in the opposite direction but Spider-Man was quick to respond, shooting a web line at his feet and pulling him back. Kraven brandished a knife and cut it off with ease, continuing his escape as Spider-Man gave a comical sigh while shaking his head. "Always choosing the hard way..." Swinging on his web lines, Spider-Man had no trouble catching up with the hunter, delivering a momentum-fuelled kick to his back, sending him crashing to the floor. Upon seeing Kraven sprawled on the ground unmoving, Spider-Man was convinced he was unconscious. Unbeknownst to him, Kraven was actually playing possum and he unleashed a fan of darts at Spider-Man when he came closer. A few of the darts hit, hurting him slightly but they did nothing to stop him. "Really? Darts? You should consider getting new weapons, Tarzan!"

"Oh? I think not!" Kraven laughed as Peter suddenly felt groggy. "The darts were laced with a heavy duty tranquilizer, enough to bring down even an elephant. We'll see each other real soon!" Kraven leapt away, knowing that the police were close behind.

"Ugh..." Spider-Man pulled the darts out of his chest and covered his face with his hands, the sedative taking a greater effect on him as time passes. Not willing to risk being at the mercy of the public and the police, he fired a web line and swung away as he heard the police cars approaching the scene.

Having blurred vision made navigating around the city extremely difficult. Everything around him appeared in doubles and he felt his energy being sapped away from him as his eyelids were getting heavier by the minute. His next web line missed his intended destination, finding nothing but air and before he realised his mistake, he went crashing into an open dumpster in an alley.

"I'll...just rest here for awhile..." he murmured to himself as his world went dark.

* * *

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose...uhhh" she said scratching her head as she opened her book yet again to check the exact phrasing of the line. "ARGH! I wish these lines would at least make sense!" Exasperated, she closed the book and read the line aloud to herself, only to be stumped at the same place. "I hate you..." she said to her book in disdain, then her heart jolted at the sudden sound.

"CRASH!"

"What the!" She shrieked, clutching her chest.

The sound came from the alley near her and though her brain was screaming at her not to check it out, curiosity got the better of her. Stepping cautiously towards the source of the crash sound, she kept looking around to ensure that she wasn't in danger. A rustling sound from the nearby dumpster made her jump in fright, and her attention was immediately diverted to it. She just stood there for some time, staying her distance and eyeing the dumpster. "Could it be a rat? That would explain the rustling sounds, but definitely not the crash I heard earlier." Theories were formulating in her mind until she couldn't stand the mystery anymore. Mustering her courage, she walked over and peered over edge of the dumpster. Eyes widening, she was shocked at what she saw in it. "Wow...definitely not a rat..." she muttered to herself.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he was knocked out for. More importantly though, he wasn't sure how on earth he ended up here of all places.

"Oh hey, you're up!" Came a familiar female voice, one that he knew all too well.

He groaned in discomfort as he attempted to sit up on the bed, feeling as if he was suffering from a hangover. "Wha...What am I doing here?" He was clutching his head with one hand, having no recollection of recent events. "You didn't unmask me did you?" He asked in a frantic voice at the sudden realisation that his secret identity could have been compromised.

"Well, you were unconscious in a dumpster and looked like you needed some help, so I brought you here. Couldn't leave you there alone y'know, some random thug might just find you and make minced spider out of you." Spider-Man chuckled at that, and Mary Jane smiled. Seems that Spider-Man shared her sense of humour. "And don't worry, I didn't unmask you." She added which elicited a huge sigh of relief from the superhero.

"Thanks for the help MJ, really appreciated it."

Mary Jane merely shrugged. "It's the least I could do, after all the times you saved me. Hey, wait a minute... how did you know my friends call me MJ?"

"Oh boy! My carelessness has cost me this time!" He thought to himself. "Uhh... I followed that Peter guy and you home to make sure you were safe. Y'know, after taking care of the thugs that day and I happened to hear him call you MJ" He managed out an impromptu excuse.

Mary Jane seemed to believe it, nodding her head. Then without warning, she inched closer to Spider-Man, whispering in his ear, "Now, you are someone I wouldn't mind as a stalker."

Peter's eyes widened at that; he wasn't used to advances from gorgeous girls, or from girls in general for that matter. Last night's encounter with the Black Cat had already proven so. Clear speech was no longer an option as he began to hem and haw, "Ummm...I...I..."

Seeing Spider-Man's response made her giggle uncontrollably. Here was the bravest superhero she knew, unafraid of anything and yet he was so nervous around her, dumbstruck by her earlier statement. To be honest, she kind of liked it; there was something about him which attracted her, something which reminded her of someone she knew, she just couldn't put a finger on who exactly.

"Relax, Spidey, I was just kidding!"

"Um, I knew that. I just had to figure out how to reject you nicely." Spider-Man countered, which made Mary Jane put on a false pout, trying her best not to laugh.

"WHAT! It's 8 p.m. already?" He glanced at the alarm clock, shocked at how late it was. "Sorry to keep our meeting short, MJ, but I gotta go!"

"Hey don't worry about me, Spidey! Duty calls right?"

With a two finger salute, Spider-Man jumped out the window and swung off into the distance, leaving Mary Jane behind with a grin plastered on her face. After all, she just had a meet and greet with her favourite superhero.

* * *

Returning home, Peter was prepared to explain to his Aunt May why he was late coming back home, with his arsenal of lies of course. To his surprise, no one was home and on the fridge was a post-it note with Aunt May's handwriting, "OFF TO BINGO, MEATLOAF IS IN THE OVEN, LOVE YOU" - AUNT MAY

"Looks like my Parker Luck is on holiday" he thought as he finished his dinner and headed to his room.

"Wow these photos turned out great!" Peter thought to himself as he went through them on his computer. He managed to stick his camera to a lamp post before his fight with Kraven to capture the fight scenes and he collected it after leaving Mary Jane's house. "Let's just hope Jameson likes it as much as I do! Oh who am I kidding, no one can take better photos of Spider-Man than I can, thanks to my little trade secret!" And with that, Peter took a well deserved rest for the night, thinking for once that perhaps being Spider-Man isn't that bad after all.

* * *

**Author's Note**: **Hey guys, I'm back after a hiatus! Updates will be more frequent now and hopefully you guys will enjoy them as much as I do! As usual, reviews/favs/follows are greatly appreciated.**

**On a different topic, I am really disappointed with the portrayal of Black Cat in the recent Spider-Man comics. I feel that she fits better as an antihero/Spider-Man's romantic and crime fighting partner than a completely psychotic super villain. It just feels wrong that her relationship with Spider-Man built over the years was just destroyed in a matter of a few issues. And the breaking down of the relationship isn't well developed at all in my opinion(Superior Spider-Man just beat her up and webbed her to a wall for the police, all taking place in a few comic panels). Here's hoping the writers are planning to mend this relationship somehow in the near future! Well, enough of my rants, perhaps you guys can tell me what you think about this villainous Black Cat portrayal!**


	6. Thrill of the hunt II

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN MY STORY.**

* * *

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered to himself as he took a deep breath and entered the building. As the lift approached the top floor, he could feel the anxiety kick in. "What if he doesn't accept them? What if he already has a photographer for Spider-Man? What if..."

His thoughts were interrupted as a "DING" sound was heard. "10th storey" went the automated voice as the lift doors opened to a hectic workplace with people rushing around with paperwork, and the smell of freshly printed newspapers filled the air.

"Wow, never knew any place could be so busy at 6 in the morning!" He thought to himself in amusement.

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! HERE WE HAVE THIS COSTUMED FREAK EVERYONE WANTS TO READ ABOUT, AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE CLEAR SHOT OF HIM!" Came a furious voice from the office at the far end. Peter thought of how Aunt May would react if he got a tattoo and his ears pierced and frankly, her rage level would be on par with the man in that room. Interestingly, the secretary outside the office was unfazed by everything that was going on, focusing on her computer screen and typing fervently.

"Hi, I'm Peter Parker," Peter approached the secretary and introduced himself, to which the secretary looked up and smiled at him. "I'm looking for Mr Jameson, if you could direct me to his office."

"Really? You couldn't tell?" She replied with a laugh. "Just follow the shouting," she continued, pointing to the office right behind her. She saw the Spider-Man photos in his hand and looked at Peter in amazement. "Wow... those are some really good photos! These can definitely swing Jameson's mood around."

"Thanks," he replied, feeling more confident now with this woman's affirmation.

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

"BETTY, DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOBODY IS TO INTERRUPT ME FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES?"

"Mr Jameson, the boy here has some remarkable photos of Spider-Man, the best I've seen by far," she replied calmly before the door opened, revealing an big-sized African-American man.

"Come on in, boy," he said, ushering Peter into the office.

"Well? Where are the photos, son? I don't have all day you know," a man sitting behind the desk barked in an irritated tone while smoking his cigar. Peter inferred that he must be the infamous J. Jonah Jameson.

"Here they are sir," Peter hurriedly displayed his photos on the desk, taking note of Jameson's expression. His eyes widened when he saw the photos, then immediately narrowed back to normal when he realised Peter was watching him.

Jameson looked through the photos in a nonchalant manner, rubbing his chin as he pretended that these photos weren't the ones he had been looking for all this while. "Tell you what, kid. Since these photos aren't really what I'm looking for, I'll give you 200 for all of them," he finally said.

That stunned both Peter and the other guy.

"Jameson, these photos are sensational! It's ridiculous that you even quoted that price!" The man asked, flabbergasted at his boss.

"Quiet Robertson! I think I can tell for myself whether these photos are up to standard!" Jameson barked back.

"But didn't your advertisement state that the payout was 500 bucks?" Peter questioned, feeling a little indignant that Jameson went back on his word.

"It said 500 bucks for SATISFACTORY photos kid, read more carefully next time."

Scowling, Peter scooped up his photos from the desk and turned from the desk.

"Wait kid, where'ya think ya' going?"

"Well, it seems these photos are underappreciated here so maybe I'll bring them someplace where they will fetch their true value."

Jameson started sweating. This boy here called his bluff, and he couldn't risk his competitors getting their hands on the photos which will definitely cause his business to plummet.

"FINE! I'll give you the full 500 for them!" Jameson called out just as Peter's grasped the doorknob.

Turning to face Jameson, he could see the desperation in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe he could push his luck further.

"I don't know, Mr Jameson. It seems that other newspaper publishers would be willing to go even higher for these," he wagged the photos in front Jameson. "But... I'm willing to let you have them for 700."

Jameson gritted his teeth. This boy had him backed into a corner and he had to swallow his pride and go his way. "650," he negotiated, "and you'll work as a freelance photographer for us."

"Deal!" Came the elated voice as Peter passed the envelope of photos to Jameson while he wrote a cheque and handed it reluctantly to the young boy. At the side, Robertson gave a warm smile and extended his hand to Peter. "Robbie Robertson. Welcome to the Daily Bugle kid, you've got potential."

"Thanks, I'm Peter Parker." He shook Robertson's hand before leaving the office, eyes were glued to the cheque. Man, it felt great to be paid!

* * *

She arrived in class early because she had nothing better to do after roaming the city for the entire night. It was already dawn and she decided she might as well just head to school. 30 minutes to spare before the students start streaming in so she thought she could use a small nap until then, a cat nap if you will. Just as she rested her head on her arms on the desk and closed her eyes, she heard footsteps into the classroom. The footsteps stopped for awhile, before they continued to the desk beside hers where the person dropped his bag onto the floor and settled into his seat. She opened her eyes just wide enough to make out the person's features. He had brown ruffled hair and similarly brown eyes. He wasn't as big as the football players in school, but his physique was acceptable. The boy caught her looking and smiled.

"Oh hey, thought you were asleep there. By the way, I'm Peter."

"I'm Felicia," she said simply, still in that napping position.

"Hey, I know we just met but I was wondering if you would be interested in coming to Liz's birthday party next week?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Y'know this could be a good chance for you to get acquainted with the rest of the class, make some new fr..." he continued.

"Thanks for the invite, but I don't think I will be going." She cut him off mid-sentence with a wave of her hand. That was rude, but necessary. She wanted the guys in school to know that she was unavailable so they would stop trying to hit on her or ask her out.

"Oh, alright" he said with a disappointed face, "just thought..." he stopped talking suddenly, looking around the room frantically. Felicia raised her eyebrow and looked at him curiously. "What's up with you?"

Peter brought his voice to a whisper. "Stay here, you'll be safe," he said before the sound of windows being smashed to smithereens disturbed the quiet of the morning.

"What's that?" Felicia asked in a worried tone, now sitting up at her seat.

"Not sure," Peter replied as he made his way quietly to the door.

"Where are you going?"She asked, not entirely sure what Peter was trying to do.

But Peter was already gone before she got an answer.

* * *

His Spider Sense tingling like crazy, he knew that danger was nearby. The window being smashed was no mere coincidence; someone was here to create trouble. He had no choice but to leave Felicia behind in the classroom as he needed to investigate the situation under the guise of his other persona. Also, she was safer there away from the action. He sneaked into the locker room to change into his costume before crawling off in search of whatever triggered his Spider Sense.

The cafeteria was in order, nothing messed up except for the broken window. As Peter crouched down and examined the scene, a familiar voice shot out from behind him.

"Your scent is strong here Spider-Man, you cannot escape my senses!"

"If it isn't my dearest jungle friend, Tarzan!" Spider-Man replied as he turned around to face him. Kraven was different from the first time he saw him; there was something off about him this time. He had a maniacal look, bloodlust even, and the size of his muscles put even the world's best weightlifters to shame.

"Oh, your sharp tongue won't save you this time Spider-Man! Today, WE BATTLE TO THE DEATH!" With that, he whipped out a few darts and flung them towards Spider-Man, which he easily shielded himself from by spinning a web shield.

"Ha! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twi-" But before Spider-Man could finish, he was met with a punch across his face which sent him flying and crashing against the wall. "I suggest you spend your energy on fighting instead of talking, puny spider!" Kraven grinned at his little victory.

The punch stung. A lot. But he wasn't about to show Kraven any signs of weakness so he quickly recovered and to add a comical touch, brushed his shoulder with his hand. "Didn't even leave a scratch, baby," he teased but under the mask, he was wincing in pain.

Kraven let out a deep laugh. "I can tell when you are putting on a facade, hero. And right now, all I can smell from you is fear."

Well, he was partly right. Spider-Man was putting on a facade to mask his pain but it wasn't so much fear that he was feeling, but rather shock at how much stronger Kraven had become since their last encounter. Then Spider-Man remembered how Kraven's strength wore out as the fight dragged on and inferred that his enhanced strength and agility was most probably from a steroid he administered to himself. Only this time the dose is higher. Much higher.

Kraven didn't give Spider-Man any more time to think as he pressed his advantage. He brandished a pocket knife and weaved skillfully around Spider-Man in an attempt to throw him off balance and it worked. Peter was still slightly dizzy after crashing into the wall and couldn't keep track of Kraven's movements. His dodges were later than usual due to his messed up Spider Sense, earning him several nicks from Kraven's blade.

"I can't face him like this-GAH!" Peter thought to himself as Kraven left another cut on his chest. Deciding there and then that he needed a better plan than to take Kraven in a head on fight, he swung away from the cafeteria to buy time. "You can try to hide, Spider-Man, but there's no escaping from my senses!" Kraven called out, pleased at how his hunt had come out so far.

* * *

She wasn't going to listen to the boy who she just met a while ago. Who was he to instruct her to stay put in this classroom? As she got up to leave, she heard a distant shout and froze in place. "You can try to hide, Spider-Man, but there's no escaping from my senses!"

She couldn't have heard wrongly could she? Was Spider really here in her school? Feeling the need for answers, she threw Peter's caution to the wind and entered the hallway. After all, she was more than capable of protecting herself should any danger arise.

At the other end of the hallway, Kraven was stalking around in search of Spider-Man. The scent trail left by his prey was stronger than ever, considering that he was bleeding from all the cuts, and the smell of blood always heightened Kraven's senses. Pricking his ears, he heard a soft sound that ordinary humans would not have heard. Hiding from view at the nearest corner, he turned his attention towards the source of the sound. A girl was walking out the classroom with a worried expression. She was constantly looking around, as if she were searching for something, or maybe looking out for danger. After all, his entrance to the school was not the most stealthy one and would most probably have alerted everyone of some kind of anomaly.

A grin spread over his face as he left his hiding spot and announced his appearance. He would not chase his prey; instead, his prey would come to him.

"You are probably the finest specimen I've ever seen," Kraven said with a grin, baring his yellow teeth.

Felicia, who thought she was alone in the hallway jumped in shock at hearing Kraven's voice. Quickly recovering her composure, she turned to face him and immediately recognised him as the psychopathic hunter with a fetish for animal pelts and hunting Spider-Man on the news. His name was Kraven wasn't it?

"Wow, you are so cheesy you make me question if I'm lactose intolerant, you know that?" Felicia replied, eyeing Kraven with caution.

"Oh no no, you got me wrong young one. I meant you being the finest specimen as a bait my dear!" Kraven laughed, advancing towards the unmoving girl. He didn't show any sign of urgency, as if his target was as good as his already.

"If you think I'm going down without a fight, you are sorely mistaken." Felicia took on a fighting stance, which made Kraven burst out in laughter.

"Do you honestly think you are a match for the mighty Kraven?"

"Well, I don't think too highly of people who speak of themselves in third person view." She scoffed back.

Kraven merely smirked as he charged towards her, hands outstretched reaching for her throat. She remained calm, waiting for Kraven to make his move, and at the last second, she gracefully backflipped, dodging Kraven's grasp while her feet struck him square in the jaw.

Kraven was shocked to say the least. Here he thought this girl was just an ordinary person who would not pose a challenge to him. Apparently he underestimated her. Her reflexes were quick and her agility was not to be scoffed at either. But if he could handle Spider-Man, he could handle this little brat.

"You've got some moves there young lady, I'll hand it to you," Kraven complimented her.

"That's not all I have up my sleeve, old man." Felicia smiled, daring Kraven to make his next move which he did without hesitation.

Felicia continued evading his attacks with her acrobatics, but Kraven saw through her patterns as the fight dragged on. Switching up his fighting style, he took Felicia by surprise as he did a leg sweep while dishing out a right hook. She only managed to dodge the punch, tripping backwards as Kraven's legs knocked her off balance. Before landing on the floor, she managed to catch herself by placing her hands on the floor and transitioning that into a somersault by pushing upwards.

Kraven expected that move from her so before she could finish the manoeuvre, he reached into a pocket in his pelt and flung a handful of special powder at her face. The powder crackled and popped in bright lights like mini fireworks, causing her to be momentarily dazed and disoriented but this short frame of time was all Kraven needed as he threw one of his darts at her.

Felicia felt drowsy and dizzy as the tranquilizer worked into her bloodstream. Her legs buckled from the sudden weakness, causing her to kneel down. "You...you...cheated..." was all she managed out before she collapsed onto the floor unconscious.

"My dear, in the jungle, it's survival of the fittest. You do what you must to come out on top." Kraven chuckled as he picked Felicia up and carried her away on his shoulder.

* * *

Peter managed to lock all the entrances to the school with the aid of his web fluid. He didn't need anybody entering this danger zone which will only complicate matters worse. Then he would have to save them AND handle that crazy steroid-enhanced caveman.

Just then, an announcement came on the public address system.

"Spider-Man, I have with me a hostage. If you value her life at all, then meet at the school gym. You have 10 minutes starting now, after which I can't ensure you her safety anymore-CLICK"

What he had been trying to prevent the past few minute still happened anyway. He didn't know for sure if Kraven really had a hostage or if he was laying a trap but he couldn't risk anybody's life knowing he had the power to have saved them. That was why he shouldered this heavy responsibility in the first place.

"Well, if I cant outmuscle him, I'll just have to outwit him then." Peter mumbled to himself as he crawled away from the science lab towards the gym, a plan already hatched in his mind. "This better works or I'm toast."

* * *

He turned his attention to the clock once more. Only a minute left and still no sign of Spider-Man. Would he really leave an innocent to die? No... He had done his research and he knows Spider-Man would put his life on the line to ensure everyone's safety. He had shown that before many times in the past, so there was really no reason that this would be an exception.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he detected a change in the air. Yes... the unmistakenable scent wafted through the air and he inhaled it deeply. His prey was here; out of sight but nearby.

"You know, I was wondering when you would show up." Kraven made his knowledge of Spider-Man's presence known.

"Thwip!" Spider-Man descended upside-down on a webline before jumping off and landing on all fours in that classic position that was so Spider-Man-esque.

His attention shifted to Felicia who was laying motionless on the benches at the end of the gym and his heart stilled.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" Rage was coursing through his veins now, his fists clenched tightly. If Kraven killed Felicia...

"I'm an honourable man, hero. She is merely knocked out by my tranquilizer darts."

Peter was immensely relieved by this assurance, but he only relaxed slightly, remainining ready for Kraven to strike anytime.

"Shall we put an end to this so I can claim the rightful title of the greatest hunter of all time?"

"Wow, all this fighting nonsense just for a name? You really are nuts!" Spider-Man mocked as his index finger circled his ear.

Kraven ignored that last comment as he took out his knife and began circling Spider-Man.

"Oh, you wanna find my best angle huh? I recommend the back, my butt has gotten pretty good reviews!" Spider-Man joked as he followed Kraven's movements. "Really, not even a giggle? What a spoilsport!"

"Quiet you fool!" Kraven took a lunge at Spider-Man, which the latter dodged with ease, even managing to fire a glob of web at his face.

"I'm guessing you're the reason why people say men have bad aim!" Spider-Man shook his head in mock disappointment.

Ripping out the webbing, Kraven let out a roar of pain. It was like a full waxing treatment, only on the face. Ouch.

"WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, I WILL RIP YOUR TONGUE OUT AND FEED IT TO THE DOGS!" Kraven was losing his cool, which was what Peter planned. Now Kraven would be concentrating so much on beating the living crap out of him that he wouldn't pay attention to anything else. Tunnel vision, as Peter likes to call it, is a common trait among his many foes when they got angry.

Kraven started to put more force into his blows, a punch actually cracking the wall as it fell short of its target. Flipping around, Spider-Man fired a web line onto Kraven's pelt and pulled himself towards the hunter. Kraven was surprised at Spider-Man's sudden switch to the offensive but he welcomed it, knowing he would definitely outbrawl him. What he didn't know though, was that this was actually part of Spider-Man's plan. As Spider-Man clung onto his back, gripping on to the animal fur, Kraven swung his elbow back repeatedly into the hero's ribs. This didn't deter him however, as he groaned in pain but was still unwilling to let go.

"Stubborn to the end huh?" Kraven laughed as he decided on another approach. Jerking his head backwards, a sickening sound echoed through the gym as skull crashed against skull. This seemed to do the trick, as Spider-Man immediately relaxed his grip and tumbled to the floor.

Spider-Man didn't even have any time to recover before a heavy boot came swinging into his chest and he was thrown backwards by the sheer force behind the kick. "I can't give up now, it's almost time!" He thought as he mustered all his willpower to stand up once again.

Kraven was panting. The long fight had worn him out and the effects from the steroid was wearing off. It didn't matter to him though, he learnt from his previous fight and brought extra doses with him for situations like this. Reaching into his pelt, he pulled out a syringe and immediately plunged it into his arm, injecting the liquid into his bloodstream.

Wait. Something was wrong. He didn't feel more powerful. Instead, his vision became hazier and his concentration was fleeting. The syringe! It was different from the ones he prepared!

"What have you done!" Kraven roared in anger as he ran towards Spider-Man in a last ditch effort to take him down but was easily subdued as he was webbed into a cocoon without much resistance.

"You aren't the only one who can use dirty tricks you know," Spider-Man remarked. When he was on Kraven's back, he managed to swap the steroid syringes in his pelt for those filled with tranquilizer, which he managed to concoct in the science lab earlier on. Lady luck was just smiling on him that Kraven didn't examine the syringe before injecting himself.

"WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED, LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" A loudspeaker voice rang through the school.

He must have been too engrossed in the fight with Kraven to notice the police car sirens as they approached the school. "Oh boy, problem after problem. Can my day get any better?" Peter complained as he thought of what to do next. Swinging out of the school would be too risky in his injured state; his reflexes were slower and he could easily get shot if the any of the policemen panicked. Walking out the doors to them would also be disastrous if the police took him in and exposed his identity; some members of the force still had trust issues on the whole masked vigilante thing. Guess he would just have to play the dumb civilian part.

Changing back to his civilian clothes, he stuffed his Spider-Man costume into his locker and went back to the gym to check on Felicia. Kraven wasn't lying, she was still alive, but he thought it best to bring her for a check up just in case. He carried her on both arms to the sick bay but found it empty. Then, he heard faint whimpering and peeled back the curtains to find the school nurse huddled in the corner.

"Please don't kill me!" She whispered between sobs, "I still have a family to provide for!"

"Mrs Jones, it's all right! The bad guy's not here, but I need you to help her!" Peter assured her.

She opened her eyes and was relieved to see a teenage boy laying a girl down on a bed. She nodded slowly in understanding and wiped her tears on her sleeve before approaching them.

"Can you figure out what happened to her?" Peter asked but the nurse was already examining Felicia.

"Hmmm... no bruises," she then pried open Felicia's eyelids and shone a light into her eyes, to which the pupil contracted, "reflexes still there. It seems that she just had a heavy dosage of sedative. It isn't serious, I'll just flush it out of her system, nothing to worry about."

Peter heaved a huge sigh of relief before making his exit. "Thanks Mrs Jones! I'll just leave her in your care then!"

"Wait! Let me check you up too, you are in really bad shape!" The nurse called after him. The boy was badly bruised and even had blood stains on his forehead.

"Don't worry about me, Mrs Jones, I'll live!" Peter said in a tone which was too cheerful for someone who looked like he took a serious beating, which left her scratching her head.

* * *

Peter put on a terrified face as he walked down the hallway. A group of policemen were entering the school, their guards raised.

"HELP! THE BAD GUY IS IN THE GYM!" He yelled, using his best frantically terrified voice. They immediately rushed over to the boy and concern spread over their faces when they saw his bruised and battered form.

"Come son, I'll get you to a hospital," The leader escorted Peter out while the rest of the group proceeded cautiously to the gym. Kicking the door open, they expected the fight of their lives but instead, there was only a man neatly wrapped in a cocoon. "Hey, isn't that the hunter guy from yesterday?" One of the officers pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right!" Another said as he inched closer to the unconscious hunter for a better look. "Hey, there's even a note here!"

_**Hope you guys like my gift! Courtesy of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.**_

* * *

"Wow, I deserve an Oscar for this!" Peter thought on the police car. No one even suspected that he could possibly be Spider-Man, and just accepted his lie that the web slinger managed to swing away without any of them noticing.

"I guess he really did a number on you huh?" The police officer asked as he glanced at Peter in the passenger seat. The boy still looked visibly shaken, but little did he know that it was all an act.

"Ye..yes sir, I tried to free his hostage but he caught me...beat me up quite badly. Thank god Spider-Man rescued me and I immediately ran off with the hostage." Peter stuttered to make it seem like just thinking about the incident brought him nightmares.

"It's fine now, you're safe here. He can't harm you now kid." The officer smiled reassuringly at Peter.

* * *

Her eyes slowly flickered open as she took in her surroundings. White walls with an equally white ceiling and there was a closet nearby filled with medical supplies. Her arm was connected to an IV drip and she was resting on a bed. This looks just like the school sick bay! The last time she remembered, she was knocked out in the hallway in the hands of Kraven. How did she even end up here?

As she adjusted herself to sit upright on the bed, she heard footsteps as a head peeped in through the curtains. "Ah, my dear you are finally awake!"

"How long was I out for?" Felicia asked as she rubbed her eyes, mind still groggy from the after-effects of the powerful sedative.

"Around 8 hours dear, but it's fine, you're alright now!" The nurse replied as she took Felicia's vitals. "Give it a day, you should be back to normal by then."

"Mrs Jones, do you know how I ended up here by any chance?"

"Oh, about that. A boy carried you here by himself when the madman was rampaging around school. Guess you were drugged by that troublemaker?" Felicia nodded. "Must say I'm beyond impressed at how brave the boy must have been to save you from him. And also how he managed to do that, I mean that caveman guy was huge, like Hulk-huge!" Mrs Jones added before she caught herself rambling and promptly stopped herself.

"Do you still remember how the boy looks?" Felicia questioned.

"Well, he has brown hair and eyes, was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and is around this tall," Mrs Jones used her hand to approximate the boy's height.

That confirmed her doubts. How did Peter manage to rescue her from Kraven? And why did he do so without any regard for his own safety? His act of selflessness made her feel bad for treating him so coldly earlier on; she just had so many awful experiences with the men that she assumed them all to be the same.

She smiled to herself as she felt all warm inside, a feeling she hasn't had in a long time.

* * *

**Author's note:** Hey guys, just realised I forgot to segment the previous chapter. It's updated now, sorry about that.


	7. Hospital visit

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN MY STORY**

* * *

For all intents and purposes, Felicia Hardy hated the daytime. It was busy, full of hubbub, and worst of all, boring. She especially loathed having to wake up so early in the morning just for school, which she decided to attend as it was the "normal teenage" thing to do. After all, her dad made her promise to live like a normal girl and not follow in his footsteps as a thief before he passed away. She tried her best to fulfill his last wishes but found herself unable to keep the latter half of the promise as her Black Cat persona was like second nature to her.

The night on the other hand, was much more to her liking - there was this sense of mystery, like anything could happen anytime which she loved. The shadows provided excellent cover for her night time activities, and of course, bumping into the red and blue spandex clad hero on his nightly patrol was always exciting. She only met him that one time, but she was already looking forward to their next encounter. So yeah, night over day any day for her.

What happened next baffled her.

She woke up much chipper than usual, before the alarm clock even rang. Jumping off the bed, she headed to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror no longer showed an irritable face as it did in the past, but instead a cheerful one.

Was that really her?

She splashed some water onto her face to make sure she was fully awake before looking back at the mirror. Still no change.

What was happening to her? Why didn't she have morning grumpiness as she usually did? But she knows the reason already. That boy. Just thinking about him made her lips curl up, which she caught herself doing and immediately wiped the smile off her face.

"This is ridiculous," she thought to herself as she slipped out of her nightwear into a simple yellow T-shirt and jeans. No boy has ever made her feel this way and although she didn't want to admit to herself, she was actually excited for school because of him. She checked herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the penthouse, humming a little tune along the way with a little spring in her step.

* * *

Felicia scanned the classroom as she walked in just before the bell rang. The class was already seated, but Peter wasn't anywhere in sight. She decided that he must be running late and found herself a seat next to a redhead. Come to think of it, she looked kind of familiar, where had she seen her before?

Throughout the lesson, she kept looking expectantly towards the door. Ten, thirty minutes passed, then the lesson was almost over but no one walked in. Peter didn't seem like the type who would skip school; he looked too much of a geek to even consider doing that.

"So class, read up on chapter 5 of your biology textbook as your homework for the weekend." The teacher instructed before dismissing the class. Felicia only realised class was over when the room was almost empty, bulk of the students already making their way for their next lesson. She sighed as she stuffed her textbook into her bag, thinking it was going to be yet another monotonous day.

The redhead who was seated beside her hasn't left the class yet, talking to a blonde girl and a boy with neatly combed brown hair, whom she remembered as Harry Osborn, or the guy who tried to hit on her the other day. Yeah right...did he really think she would date anyone so easily?

Looking at the group, it suddenly dawned on her that the redhead and the blonde were sitting with Peter at the cafeteria that day, encouraging Harry after he failed to ask her out, so they must be friends. She lingered at her seat a while longer, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"So how about we visit Pete after school? Poor guy could use some company, gets pretty boring at the hospital," Harry suggested, watching the two girls for their response. The blonde nodded her approval but the redhead gave an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I have drama lessons after school today. You guys go ahead without me, I'll go in my free time."

"All right then MJ," the blonde replied before she noticed that Felicia was still in the room. "Umm are you okay?"

Felicia saw the blonde approaching her and just realised that the question was directed at her. "Oh, yeah I am fine. Just thinking about something, that's all, thanks for asking," Felicia smiled at her concern before getting up from her seat.

"I hope nothing serious happened to him!" She thought about what could have possibly happened to Peter to land him in the hospital. She had a hunch that it had to do with the Kraven incident, but still brooded over the matter for the remainder of her school day. She found herself unable to concentrate at all, her worry intensifying as time passes

Deciding that staying in school would be useless, considering she most probably wouldn't be able to take in anything from the lessons, she left early and headed back home. "I'll make something for him before visiting," she thought, not wanting to go empty handed.

* * *

She laid down on the couch while the soup simmered. She would be bringing that for Peter later.

*CLICK CLICK* None of the shows interested her even the slightest as she lazily flicked through the channels. It would be quite some time before the soup was ready so she set the alarm on her handphone and drifted off to sleep.

She woke up feeling refreshed and better than ever even before her alarm rang. "Man, that was some good nap!" She got off the couch and stretched. Looking out the window, she saw that the sky was already turning dark.

"What the!" She checked her handphone for the time but it was out of battery. That's why the alarm didn't go off!

"Oh crap..." She hastily scooped the soup into a container and rushed out, silently cursing herself for being so careless. "And I thought black cats were supposed to be bad luck to others!"

Felicia was out of breath by the time she reached the entrance of the hospital. She ran the whole time and it wasn't a short journey by any means. The receptionist raised her brow as she saw a girl running through the entrance approaching her.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" She asked the girl politely.

"Hi, I'm...looking for a...Peter," Felicia managed out between pants as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up, our patients need ample rest, you can come again tomorrow," the receptionist informed regrettably.

Oh no! She totally forgot about the visiting hours! But she can't just head back now, maybe she could change her mind somehow...

"Please...I really need to see this person to check if he's okay. I won't take long, I promise," Felicia gave a forlorn expression to complete the look, which apparently worked on the receptionist like a charm.

"Fine, what's his name?"

_"Can anyone tell me how to test for the presence of reducing sugars? Yes, Mr Parker?"_

_"Benedict's test can be used, sir," the boy replied, proceeding to give the full details of the test._

_"Yes, well done, Peter!" The biology teacher beamed at his favourite student. _

"Peter um... Parker." She remembered this from two days ago when this boy who sat at the back of the class had all the answers to the teacher's question.

"Ok, give me a moment," the receptionist keyed in the name into the system. "Ah yes, Peter Parker is on the 8th floor, ward 5. Remember not to stay too long, if not the nurses will have to chase you out!"

"All right, thanks!" Felicia waved to her in gratitude and hurried to the elevator, not wanting to waste anymore time.

* * *

There it was. WARD 5. The words were etched clearly on the door yet she hesitated in going in. There were butterflies in her stomach as she felt truly nervous for the first time in her life.

How was he going to react? How badly was he injured? Oh well, now or never.

She knocked on the door. "There, first step done, wasn't so bad was it Felicia?" She thought to herself.

"Come in!" A cheerful voice chirped out. He's sounding a lot better than he should be. That's a good sign.

She walked in and saw Peter bandaged on the head and signs of bruises everywhere on his skin, though she must say they were healing really well considering he got them only yesterday. He was leaning over the table eating his Jell'O, his plate of food left untouched. He scooped a chunk of the green jelly into his mouth before turning to look at his visitor, immediately choking and coughing once he saw who it was. The jelly spurted out of his mouth, colouring the otherwise plain white room with blotches of fluorescent green.

"Oh my, are you alright?"Felicia immediately went up and patted Peter's back until he stopped coughing, after which she took a cloth and cleaned up the mess.

"Sorry about that, just wasn't expecting you to come," Peter finally said after his coughing fit. "Here, pass me the cloth, I'll clean it up."

Felicia glanced at Peter and shook her head. "Don't worry, it's no hassle, and I don't think you're in any condition to get out of bed now."

"I'm feeling fine, they're just keeping me here on observation because they're paranoid," Peter had a glum expression as he said this. "I really don't know how I'm going to pay for the hospital fees."

Felicia saw how downcast Peter was and decided to lighten up his mood. "Hey, let's not worry about that for now. How about you turn that frown upside down for me hmm?" She made a funny face and was glad when Peter laughed at her silliness. Sadness really didn't suit him well.

"Look, I just wanted to apologise for my attitude towards you the other day. I didn't even get to know you well and yet I was so rude to you," Felicia watched Peter for his reaction. Frankly, she wouldn't blame him if he was angry at her over that incident.

"Nah, that's nothing. Women brush me off all the time, you just have no idea how often," he deadpanned. "Just last week, I was trying to place an order at some fast food restaurant, and the female counter staff ignored me! And then this afternoon, I asked a nurse for some assistance, and she just walked past, pretending as if I wasn't there!" Felicia snickered at the absurdity of his joke before he continued. "I mean, I do bathe only once a week, maybe that's the reason why they're treating me this way," Peter pretended to be deep in thought.

"Stop it, you're killing me!" Felicia slapped Peter playfully on the shoulder, tears escaping her eyes as she was in fits of laughter.

"You mean my odour is killing you? Man, this is worse than I thought..."

By this time, Felicia had to clutch on to the bed frame for support, all her tension slipped away. It was a good five minutes before she finally regained her composure as Peter had decided to stop torturing her with his jokes.

"I see you haven't touched your dinner," Felicia wiped her tears on her sleeve as she looked at the plate of whatever it was on the table. She couldn't blame Peter, after all the food looked really unappealing.

"Yeah, the Jell'O was about the only edible thing they gave me, and I sort of wasted it," he said just as his stomach gave a low rumble.

"Well you're in luck, Mr Parker. I happened to have brought something along which is perfect for situations like this," Felicia brought her container to the table and opened it.

Peter rubbed his hands in anticipation and peered into the container expectantly to find that Felicia had actually made soup for him. He couldn't wait to dig in, immediately bringing the soup to his mouth and slurping it, expecting the liquid to excite his taste buds but instead getting a weird and bland taste! If his taste buds could retract into his tongue, they would. But Felicia was looking at him for his verdict and he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth so he forced it down his throat and grinned at her. "Wow, this is really good! Did you make it yourself?"

"Yup! Have some more then, since you like it so much!" Felicia smiled back at Peter. She noticed Peter grimace slightly when he first tasted the soup, even if it was just for a moment, and knew he didn't like it. But she wasn't going to tell him she knew that immediately; she was going to have some fun with him first.

"Umm, I think I'll drink it later."

"Why, aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah, but such great soup needs to be rationed and savoured over the night."

"Oh no, I enjoy watching you appreciate the soup I made for you. Here, I'll feed you," Felicia grinned as she delivered spoonful after spoonful of soup into Peter's mouth. To her surprise, he hadn't shown any signs of protest, obediently downing the soup as she fed it to him. She decided to end his misery right then and put down the spoon, giving a sigh.

Peter gave her a confused look. "What's the matter?"

"You know you can just tell me the truth right? That this sucks?" Felicia said, indicating at the bowl.

"What? No it doesn't! I'm-"

Felicia gave him a look which said she saw through his act and he immediately cut his sentence short.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts right?" Peter said with a laugh. "Just that is enough fill me up already!"

Felicia couldn't help but smile. Peter sure had a knack of making people around him feel better. "Gosh, you are so corny!"

Peter gave a chuckle as he laid back down onto the bed. He was starting to feel the effects of the morphine in his IV drip as his eyelids were slowly starting to droop. Felicia noticed this and walked around the bed to look at the doctor's note with the list of injuries Peter had. Just to check how serious his condition is before she left him to rest for the night.

_ 1\. Cracked rib_

_2\. Admitted with mild concussion_

_3\. Numerous lacerations _

_4\. Bruises on torso and face_

"Woah," she whispered to herself as she read the list. Looking at Peter, he didn't seem to be injured that badly and his wounds were healing really well. "Peter, can I ask you something?" She asked as she bit on her lower lip.

"Hmm?" Came the faint reply as Peter was unable to keep himself awake for much longer.

"You got these injuries from Kraven right?" Felicia asked even though she was almost certain of the answer.

"Mmhmm..." Peter voice drifted off while his eyes closed. Soon, only the sound of his steady breathing remained.

"Why did you do that? You could have died just as easily you know?" Felicia's voice was full of concern as she gazed at Peter, his chest rising and dropping with his breathing. She knew he was asleep already and wasn't able to answer her but she just wanted to get the question out. Like maybe, just maybe that would make her feel better.

"I guess I'd better let you rest, I'll come visit again soon," Felicia whispered gently to Peter. "And you risking your neck to save me? That's really the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me."

She took one last look at Peter before reluctantly packing her stuff and getting ready to leave. She wished she could stay longer but the nurses are probably on their way to chase her out. Just as she reached the door, she heard the faintest murmur from the bed, "Because you're worth it," followed by light snoring as Peter rolled over on his side.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Here's a chapter mostly from Felicia's POV. What do you guys think?

And as always, thanks for the reviews and support!


	8. Redhead with the red face

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SPIDER-MAN OR ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE FRANCHISE**

* * *

"Great to see you back in school Pete!" Harry gave him a slap on the shoulder as he walked alongside Peter down the hall.

"Oh come on, it's not as if you haven't seen me for a while. You practically visited me every day in the hospital," Peter laughed at Harry's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, but now you can help me with my homework instead of sleeping in bed all day!" Harry joked which immediately earned him a mock glare.

He was discharged yesterday after persistently pleading with the doctor to do another x-ray on him. The doctor was surprised to say the least when he received the image; while others took a minimum of 1 month to fully recover from similar injuries, this boy only took 2 and a half days! Peter left the room leaving behind a puzzled doctor wondering if he diagnosed his patient wrongly. When he went to the counter to pay for his bill, the receptionist told him that there was no need as a Ms Hardy has paid for all expenses in full.

Felicia...She really didn't have to do that. While he understands that she might feel indebted to him, he wouldn't ask for anything in return. After all, it comes with the job description of being a hero.

"...and then we can check out- hey were you even listening? Wat'cha thinking of man?" Harry asked when he noticed Peter spacing out.

"Oh it's nothing. Must be the lingering effects from the concussion, I think."

"Oh right, I nearly forgot about that. Anyway, I was saying tonight is Liz's party and we can-"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Girls, dancing, more girls am I right?" Peter laughed as they entered the classroom.

Harry gave Peter a proud look as if he were parent watching his kid walk for the first time. "And they didn't believe me when I said my boy Peter had grown up!"

As usual, the boys in the room were crowded around Felicia, all trying to impress her or ask her out. She politely turned them down, smiling weakly at Peter who was observing her current predicament with amusement.

The most impressionable person there had to be none other than Flash. Using his burly body frame, he shoved the crowd of boys away before leaning on Felicia's table and winking at her. Felicia swore she felt her breakfast rising to her throat.

"Hey there cutiepie, name's Flash. Now I may not be a photographer, but I can definitely picture you and I together," he said grinning at her. Yup, her gag reflexes were working fine.

"Um, sorry but I'm seeing someone else already," Felicia gave an apologetic expression but she didn't really feel all that bad for him.

"Oh I'm not just anyone, honey," Flash moved closer and draped his arm over her shoulder, causing her to cringe in disgust. "Surely you must have heard of THE Flash?"

"Sorry, haven't heard of him, nor do I want to," Felicia replied with disdain, glaring at him and peeling his arm off her. The other boys snickered at Flash and some brave ones even booed and jeered at him, causing him to storm off in a rage, roughly pushing aside anyone who was in his way. All commotion ceased and everyone immediately settled back to their seats when the biology teacher, Mr Thomas arrived.

"Good morning class!" He started off the lesson with a cheerful note but was greeted with the dull monotone of the class.

"I see a whole weekend hasn't been able to lift your spirits!" He said with a chuckle before continuing. "Today, we're going to start on our first project assignment, topic is on DNA. Now you have 3 minutes to split yourselves into groups of 2 and report your groupings to me."

Peter would be on the same group as Mary Jane as always, but she wasn't here so he couldn't report to the teacher yet. "Peter, Felicia would you two come over for a while?" Mr Thomas beckoned them over.

"Yes sir?" Peter asked, uncertain of why they were called over.

"Now, I've decided to pair you and Ms Hardy in the same group seeing that she's new to this school and since you're the top student, you can definitely show her the ropes."

"Oh... About that Mr Thomas, Mary Jane and I are usually in the same group and I-" Peter said before he got cut off.

"Well maybe this will teach Ms Watson that late coming isn't tolerated in my class."

"But-"

"No buts, this is my final decision," Mr Thomas announced before he typed their names into his laptop under "Group 1".

Just then, Mary Jane burst into room panting heavily.

"I'm so sorry Mr Thomas! My alarm clock was spoilt, and I missed the bus, it won't happen again I promise," Mary Jane explained between breaths.

Mr Thomas raised a brow and considered her for a while. "Very well Ms Watson, but next time you are late, you'll not be allowed in my class. Now go find a partner for the DNA project."

"Oh it's all right, Peter and I are always group mates," Mary Jane replied, smiling at Peter although she was confused why he was mouthing a "sorry" to her.

"About that Ms Watson, I've already paired Mr Parker and Ms Hardy in the same group, you have to find another partner this time. Maybe that'll teach you not be late for my lessons in the future?"

Mary Jane gave a groan as she put her bag on the last empty seat before going to find her project partner.

"Sorry you got stuck with me," Felicia mumbled while looking down, but Peter waved her apology away.

"It's fine. It's just that MJ's my neighbour and we had been working together for every project ever and we are kind of used to our group dynamics already," he explained, to which Felicia nodded in understanding.

The rest of the lesson was left for the class to start their plan on the project. Mary Jane's group mate was Tucker, an average boy with a fetish for wearing caps everywhere he goes and she clearly wasn't pleased with this partnership. Peter sneaked a glance at her but she caught him doing so and if looks could kill, he would be brutally murdered ten times over.

Deciding that then was probably not the best time to talk to her, Peter turned his attention to Felicia, who was sitting there silently watching them the whole time.

"Wow, she really is angry huh?" Felicia finally said.

"Yeah, she'll simmer down sooner or later, hopefully sooner," Peter replied. "There's actually something else I want to ask you about."

"Hmm?" Felicia hummed, reading the assignment sheet given to them.

"I was discharged from the hospital yesterday only to find out from the receptionist that you paid for my hospital fees. Is it true?"

"Oh yeah, I'd been meaning to tell you about that. Guess it must have slipped my mind."

Peter took out his wallet and placed a cheque for 500 dollars in her hand but she didn't accept it and immediately returned it to him.

"This is the least I could do after you saved my life, take it as a token of gratitude. Please?"

"Felicia, I appreciate your intentions, but I really can't accept this," Peter slid the cheque back to her. Seeing Peter being so adamant about this topic, she decided to let the matter rest and kept the cheque in her pocket. "At least let me treat you to dinner sometime?" Felicia looked at Peter hopefully.

"All right, that's fine with me," Peter chuckled before class was dismissed. "Wait, weren't we supposed to be discussing on our project?"

* * *

School was over and Peter was walking with Mary Jane back home. Well, technically he was following Mary Jane, seeing as she was still giving him the cold shoulder and wouldn't let him walk beside her.

"Come on, MJ... It wasn't even my fault! Mr Thomas insisted on pairing us up!" Peter explained for what was probably the tenth time that day but she just stomped on as if she didn't hear him. "You know you can't ignore me forever right? We practically live right next to each other!"

Mary Jane finally turned around. "I'm...I'm not mad at you, Peter. It's just that we had always been in the same group since we knew each other and it's frustrating to see that old fishbreath Thomas break that up."

"So you really aren't mad at me?" Peter asked, perplexed by MJ's sudden mood change.

"At first I was, then I realised that it really wasn't your fault and there was no point staying angry with you," Mary Jane sighed. "I guess I'm still feeling a little bitter about this. I really have the worst temper huh?"

"Nah, I like to think of you more as a free spirited firecracker," Peter laughed as they walked on together.

"Yeah, now you're just trying to make me feel better."

Mary Jane smiled for the first time that day. How was it that Peter always managed to brighten up her day no matter how grey it seemed?

* * *

Peter was in his room, making web fluid seeing that his supply was running low. It was no surprise to him though as he loved abusing the use of his web shooters. Besides wrapping up the bad guys in it and using it for his whole arsenal of tricks which include producing a web shield, he used it to swing around the city. It made commuting so much easier, and it definitely screamed spider. After all, what's a spider-themed hero without webs right?

"RIIIING!" His phone rang and without even looking at it, he shot a webline in its direction and pulled it over. Yup, abuse was definitely right.

The screen showed a number he hadn't seen before but he decided to pick it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey Petey, it's me Liz!" Peter shuddered at that nickname Liz just gave him. Why would Liz want to have anything to do with him? The last time he checked, she was on the same side as Flash and the other "cool" kids.

"Oh, hey what's up Liz?"

"You're coming for my birthday party tonight right?"

On the other end, Peter slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten when he had promised Harry just last week? Thank God Liz reminded him.

"Yeah sure, sure."

"Great! I'll see you at 7 then! Bye!" Liz exclaimed almost in too much excitement before hanging up.

Could this get any weirder? Well, it could if she suddenly started screeching like a chimpanzee into the phone but that's not the point.

Maybe she's planning to play a prank on him there. That would definitely explain her excitement...yup he was definitely going with that theory. As much as he would hate to go, he made a promise to Harry and intended to keep it. He should probably bring MJ along, just so he wouldn't be too bored there, but seeing how she was feeling today, she would probably need some coaxing, and he knew just how.

* * *

"Peter you know I'm not in the mood for parties right now," Mary Jane said in a tired voice at her front door.

"Come on MJ, just this once. Pretty please?"

"Peter, I...No, don't you dare...I SAID DON'T...ARGH FINE! I swear one day that tactic won't work on me anymore!" Mary Jane was shaking her head while Peter laughed. The doe-eyed look he gave her had always worked like a charm and this time was no exception.

"Thanks MJ, you're the best!" Peter drew her into a hug and she rolled her eyes but was actually secretly smiling. "Hey, we still got some time before then, how about we watch a movie at my place?"

Mary Jane rubbed her chin as if in consideration until Peter added, "I've got popcorn!"

"How about marshmallows?"

"Oh, you know I always have a stash of it ready just for you!" Peter grinned as she closed the door behind her.

"I don't think your stash is ever enough for me, but I guess it will do for today," Mary Jane gave a sigh of disappointment.

"Careful there MJ. Keep eating like that and those clothes won't fit you anymore," Peter teased and immediately ran away laughing, leaving MJ incredulous and gaping.

"COME BACK HERE PARKER!" She cried out as she gave chase.

The chase soon led to Peter's bedroom where he was cornered with nowhere else to go.

"Now what did you say about me being fat?" Mary Jane looked ready to pounce, daring Peter to make another teasing comment.

"I said, soon every clothing store in the country won't even have a large enough size for you!" Peter deadpanned and as soon as the words left his mouth, Mary Jane jumped on him. He easily sidestepped her and then scooped her up bridal style.

"Woah!" She gasped at the ease with which Peter managed to carry her. "Put me down Parker!"

"If you say so..." Peter gave a sly grin and dropped her on the bed. Though he didn't expect her to grab on to his shirt as he did that and he fell over as well.

PLOMP! Peter landed face first beside her on the bed even though he tried his best to regain his footing. "You all right there Peter?" Mary Jane was asking between giggles.

"Uhhhhhh," Peter gave a muffled groan as his face was still on the bed.

Moving closer to check on him, Mary Jane gave a yelp when he suddenly sprang back up and tickled her. "Now admit it! Admit you're fat!"

Tears were now rolling down her cheeks as the tickling was starting to become unbearable. "ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT! I'm fat! I'm fat!" She cried out between fits of laughter.

"How fat?" Peter grinned. He was having so much fun doing this to her but she was probably going to give him hell after that. Oh well, that worry is for next time.

"Fat enough to be on the biggest loser! Please, please stop!" She squealed as she continued to squirm around helplessly.

Finally pleased with the answer he got, he let her go. "See, wasn't so hard was it?"

She was catching her breath as she glared at Peter and he just gave a cheesy grin back. He knew she wasn't really mad at him for that, she was just hatching some evil plot for him in the future.

"So, any preferences for movies?" He asked, to which Mary Jane shook her head.

"In that case," Peter took out a DVD. "I'm feeling like some documentaries. Super Size Me seems pretty appropriate!"

* * *

He hadn't gone to Liz's house before but it didn't take a genius to find it. Along the row of houses in the otherwise quiet neighbourhood, there was one which was fully lit up and had loud music blasting. It was pretty crowded inside already and people were still streaming in; a sign of how popular Liz actually was in school.

"Well, this is it," Peter announced, positive that it was definitely the right address.

"Do you mind explaining again why you need me to come when Harry will be there anyway?" Mary Jane groaned.

"Because, I know Harry would be off doing his 'thing' with the girls all night and I need someone to accompany me or I would kill myself of boredom," Peter said in a matter-of-factly tone. "I'll make it up to you next time, MJ."

Her eyes lit up immediately. "I'll hold you to your word Mr Parker!"

They saw Liz at the front door greeting everyone as they came and when she spotted Peter, she waved enthusiastically. "Petey! Over here!"

"Did she really just call you Petey?" Mary Jane smirked at Peter covered his face in embarrassment.

"The party's already started, I'll join you as soon as everyone's here," Liz smiled sweetly while batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at him.

Mary Jane frowned. "All right, we'll catch you later!" Mary Jane said as she tugged Peter along quickly, only letting him go once Liz was out of sight.

"So typical... She treats you like a nobody before and now that you're famous in school for that rescue you pulled off, she wants to get to know you," she sighed.

"It's no big deal," Peter shrugged and gave her a warm smile. "I'll always remember my true friends who stuck with me since the beginning."

He was caught off guard as Mary Jane pulled him in for one of the tightest hugs he'd ever had. "You're such a great person, Peter! Don't ever let others change who you really are."

"MJ, continue hugging like that and I may just break another rib..." Peter croaked out and she immediately released her hug in sudden realisation.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry! I forgot you just recovered!" Mary Jane apologised frantically but Peter quickly assured her that he was fine. "If I survived Kraven, I think I can survive a little redhead." He ruffled her hair, much to her irritation as she swatted his hand away.

"HEY PETER, YOU'RE HERE!" Harry's voice suddenly cut through despite the loud music. He approached them with a smirk on his face. "And I see you've brought yourself a date!"

Mary Jane's face turned a comparable shade of red to her hair while Peter not knowing how to respond from the embarrassment, rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

"Oh, lighten up guys, I was just teasing!" Harry patted Peter on the shoulder. "Enjoy the party man, this is going to be a blast! This Casanova is going to show the girls here a great night, see you guys later!"

With that, Harry sauntered off, leaving the two alone once again. Peter stood there with his hands in his pocket, looking around awkwardly. He was at a loss for what to do, seeing as he hadn't attended many parties before.

"Right, so what shall we do first?" Mary Jane looked at Peter. He wished she hadn't asked him that. Like he would know anything about the social convention at parties!

"Uhhh, how about the sandwiches? They look pretty good," he took a shot though he had a gut feeling that it wasn't a good one.

Mary Jane lifted her brow. "Really? Who's the glutton now!" She giggled when Peter's belly gave a low rumble.

"Well they DO look pretty tasty! And I haven't eaten anything but marshmallows since this afternoon!"

He went over to the table and piled his plate high with so much food that Mary Jane thought for sure that he was vastly overestimating his appetite. No normal person could ever finish that alarming amount of food in one go.

The look on her face was priceless when Peter worked through the pile as if it was just an appetiser, showing no signs of slowing down. Her jaw dropped as she just stood there speechless watching him and his ravenous appetite. Peter noticed this and put a sandwich in her open mouth, returning her incredulous look with a cheeky smile of his own.

"Told'chu zhey were dericious no?" Peter tried his best not to let any food in his mouth fly out.

Mary Jane nodded and laughed as Peter reclaimed the sandwich after she took a bite. It was just a really great feeling being with Peter, even if she was just watching him. He could be so childish yet so mature at the same. And sometimes he could be so secretive, deep in his own thoughts but unwilling confide in anybody, as if he was keeping some big secret that he couldn't ever let anyone know. She just wishes he trusted her enough to share his inner thoughts.

"Wow, someone sure is hogging all the food!" A voice spoke up from right beside Mary Jane, breaking her reverie as she turned and saw a pair of the shapeliest legs she had ever seen. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Peter gave a look of surprise and shook his head, gesturing to the empty seat beside Mary Jane. "Thought you intended to give this party a miss?" He asked after swallowing his entire mouthful of food with difficulty, earning him an amused look from her.

"Guess someone changed my mind," she shrugged and sat beside Mary Jane, who immediately recognised her as Peter's new project partner. "Yup, definitely spiked," she took a sip of her drink and immediately left it on the table, sticking out her tongue in distaste of the alcohol. "So do you mind giving me an introduction to our schoolmates?"

"Sure! MJ, this is Felicia. Felicia, this is Mary Jane, my neighbour," Peter introduced as they exchanged formalities. "I'll bring you around and introduce you to the others," he rose from his seat with Felicia following him. "Wanna come along MJ?" He asked, seeing that the redhead was still seated.

"Nah, I'm good; it's not as if I don't know any of these people. Think I'll just join Gwen over there later," she rejected his offer and watched as the two disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

"So I've heard that Peter's partner for the biology project is the new girl. Thought you two were always in the same group?" Gwen asked, dying to know about the recent change in events.

"Yeah, it's just that old geezer Thomas' way of punishing me for being late to his class. Whatever...it didn't really affect me too much." Mary Jane shrugged nonchalantly but Gwen easily saw through her facade.

"Is that why you're watching them so intently?" Gwen gave a mischievous grin as she followed Mary Jane's line of sight.

She immediately turned her head away from the blonde, hoping she wouldn't see her blush but little did she know that the redness has crept to her ears as well. "I wasn't looking at them! I...I was watching Harry!" She snapped as she pointed at their friend trying to flirt with the girls.

Gwen's grin grew wider. She was sure her remark hit the bull's eye but knowing Mary Jane, she was too stubborn to ever admit that. "If you say soooo," she singsonged and laughed quietly to herself. It was funny how the normally unabashed Mary Jane would suddenly become demure when the topic shifts to Peter and her. It was common for others to tease them about their relationship; after all they were pretty close neighbours, and they did spend quite a bit of time together, be it doing homework or lazing around on weekends. They even came to school and went back home together!

"Hey MJ, your ears look like they're about to explode!" Gwen giggled uncontrollably as Mary Jane touched her ears and gave a look of surprise. She didn't even notice her ears heating up before she touched them and only just realised that how warm they were from all that teasing from Gwen.

"Must be because it's really hot in here. I think I'll head out for some fresh air," Mary Jane squeezed past the crowd and made her way out of the house, glad for once to be away from the party. That was certainly enough embarrassment for one night.

"Hey you all right?" A familiar voice called out behind her startled her a little. How did he manage to sneak behind her without her noticing even the slightest?

"Yeah, I'm great, why do you ask?" She sighed as she turned around to face Peter, her back leaning on the railing.

"Well, firstly you left the party in a hurry. And secondly, you just sighed," he leaned on the railing beside her. "Anything troubling you?"

"Well it's not really troubling, more like irritating," she laughed and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool night breeze. "Gwen wouldn't stop making fun of both of us."

He didn't reply, merely chuckled. He thought he would get used to this teasing from his friends as time went on, or perhaps they would get bored of poking fun at them but both of that didn't happen.

"Hey, I thought you were showing the new girl around?"

"Yeah, she hit it off quite well with Gwen and I saw you leaving so I decided to leave them together and come after you to check what's wrong," he explained, relieved to hear that apart from embarrassment, the redhead was fine.

Mary Jane felt a sudden surge of warmth from Peter's concern for her, but a sudden thought put a dampener to that. He was just showing concern for a friend, don't look too deep into it. Damn it MJ, that's the third time you've blushed tonight already, get a grip! She cursed herself silently as she looked at Peter but apparently he did not notice the slight reddish tinge on her cheeks. Thank god...

"I think we better go back in or Gwen might think I'm really mad at her," she looked up at him and he nodded in agreement.

His spider sense rang slightly as he went in but he ignored it and before he knew it, a sudden cold sensation went down his entire back. Mary Jane had emptied her cup of ice down his shirt and ran past him laughing.

"Now we're even!"

* * *

**Author's note: **Hey guys, here's a lighthearted chapter which I injected a bit of humour into, but not too much such that it becomes a comedy series. Can't wait for your reaction to this chapter!

P.S. MJ isn't really fat, Peter's just teasing her because of her monstrous appetite for sweets. :D


End file.
